LIGHT FOR THE DAY; 



OR, 



HEAVENLY THOUGHTS FOR EARTHLY GUIDANCE. 



A DAILY MONITOR. 



BY 



TEYON EDWARDS, D.D. 



As daily bread is needful for the body, so daily communion with the 
truth of God is needful for the soul. 




PHILADELPHIA : 
PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 
1334 CHESTNUT STREET. 




Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1877, by 

THE TRUSTEES OF THE 

PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



Westcott & Thomson, 
Stereotypers and Electrotypers, Philada. 



INTRODUCTION. 



MANUALS for daily devotional reading have, 
of late years, been greatly multiplied, and if 
good, there can hardly be too many of them; for 
every good book is a blessing to the world, and what 
may strike one reader or class of readers, may be less 
attractive and profitable to another, so that each ad- 
ditional work, if properly prepared, may be an addi- 
tional influence for good. 

Most of these works, however, in their mode of 
presenting truth, are rather didactic than suggestive. 
The writers select a text, and then endeavor to impress 
the lessons it suggests to their own minds, rather than 
aid the reader to draw out its lessons for himself, and 
apply them to his own experience and needs. In con- 
trast to this method of direct comment, which expresses 
the thoughts of another, this work would lead the 
reader to question both himself and the text, and thus 
to apply to his own case the truth it may bring before 
him. 



4 



INTRO D UCTIOJST. 



The advantages of this mode of devotional reading 
are great. " More knowledge/' says good old John 
Owen, " is ordinarily diffused, especially among the 
young, by one hour's catechetical exercise, than by 
many hours of continued direct discourse." And a 
large part of the teachings of Socrates was by ques- 
tions, drawing forth in their answers the thought of 
his disciples. And so in the Bible, and especially in 
the teachings of our Saviour, we are constantly met 
by questions, such as, "Adam, where art thou?"; 
" What doest thou here Elijah?"; "The baptism of 
John, was it from heaven, or of men?"; "What! 
could ye not watch with me one hour ? 

But the peculiar power which well-directed ques- 
tioning has over others, may be equally useful to our- 
selves. Many a teacher has found that his questions 
to his pupils on their lesson have taught that lesson 
thoroughly to himself. And so to question ourselves 
in any department of thought, is the sure way to in- 
crease and impress our knowledge ; and this is true 
of the most important kinds of knowledge — knowledge 
of self, and of divine truth, and of duty to God, to 
ourselves, and to our fellow-men. 

Another object in preparing this work has been, to 
impress its lessons not only by the habit of self-ques- 
tioning, but by the choice and striking, thoughts of 
our best religious writers both in-grtCse and poetry. 
From a wide range of authors such thoughts have 



IN TROD UCT10N. 



5 



been carefully gathered for the benefit of the reader, 
and so presented as to illustrate and impress the teach- 
ings of the text. Such gems of thought are always 
valuable ; but they have a double value and interest 
when applied to spiritual things. 

In preparing this work many extracts have been 
taken and much aid derived from a valuable little 
manual called " Help by the Way!' But in every case 
where a thought has been suggested, or a subject 
adopted, the article has been carefully rewritten, while 
the various illustrative extracts have been gathered 
from any and every source that might make them 
interesting and profitable to the reader. Most of 
these extracts have the names of their authors ap- 
pended. Those marked with a * are by the author 
of this work. May the work itself shed a clear and 
"Daily Light" on many a pilgrim's path, and that 
path shine brighter and brighter to the perfect day. 

T. E. 

September, 1877. 



LIGHT FOR THE DAY. 



JANUARY 1. 



But this I say, brethren, the time is short. — 1 Cor. 
vii. 29. 

T^vO I realize how fast time is flying? how fast 



_L_y probation is speeding away, and eternity is 
drawing near? Has the great work of life as yet 
been begun by me? Am I living by faith on the 
only Son of God ? Knowing the uncertainty of life, 
am I striving wisely and faithfully to improve it, to 
the glory of God, to my own spiritual good, and for 
the good of my fellow -men ? 



Time well employed is Satan's deadliest foe; it 
leaves no opening for the lurking fiend. — Wilcox. 

Make diligent and wise use of time if thou valuest 
eternity. Yesterday cannot be recalled. To-morrow 
cannot be assured. To-day, only, is thine, which, if 
thou procrastinatest, thou losest; which lost, is lost 
forever. — Jeremy Taylor. 




7 



8 



JANUAR Y 1. 



The great rule of moral conduct, is ; next to God, to 
respect time. — Lavater. 

As every thread of gold is valuable, so is every 
minute of time. — Mason. 

As if you could kill time, without injuring eter- 
nity ! — Thoeeau. 

To show us the worth of time, God, who is most 
liberal of all other things, never gives us two moments 
together, nor grants us a second till he has withdrawn 
the first, still keeping the third in his own hands, so 
that we are in perfect uncertainty whether we shall 
have it or not. The true way of preparing for the 
last moment, is, to spend all others well, and ever to 
be expecting that. — Fenelon. 

We are always complaining that our days are few, 
and yet acting as though there would be no end of 
them. — Seneca. 

Time is what we want most, but what, alas ! we use 
worst. — Penn. 



The bell strikes one. We take no note of time 

But from its loss. To give it, then, a tongue, 

Is wise in man. As if an angel spoke 

I feel the solemn sound. If heard aright 

It is the knell of my departed hours. 

Where are they ? With the years beyond the flood. 

It is the signal that demands despatch. 

How much is to be done ! — Young. 



JANUARY 2. 



9 



Search the Scriptures. — John v. 39. 
0 I receive the Bible as indeed the word of God, 



A^-J believing all that is there taught, and endeav- 
oring to do all that is there commanded? And do 
I follow the direction of the Saviour to search the 
Scriptures ? Do I search them, not to gratify mere 
idle curiosity, but with diligence, with an humble and 
teachable spirit, and with that fervent prayer which 
is one of the best interpreters ? Do I earnestly desire 
and seek the enlightening influence of the Holy Spirit, 
that I may search aright, that I may be instructed in 
divine truth, and directed in the way of duty, and that 
I may honor Christ, and be found in the way of sal- 
vation ? 

The Bible is a window in this prison of hope, 
through which we look into eternity. — Dwig-ht. 

I will answer for it, that the longer you read the 
Bible, the more you will love it. It will grow sweeter 
and sweeter. — Komaine. 

The Scriptures teach us the best way of living, the 
noblest way of suffering, and the most comfortable 
way of dying. — Flavel. 

Most wondrous book ! bright candle of the Lord ! 
This book — this holy book — on every line 
Marked with the seal of high divinity, 
This lamp, from off the everlasting throne 
Mercy took down, and in the night of Time, 
Stood, casting on the dark her gracious bow, 
And evermore beseeching men with tears 
And earnest sighs, to read, believe, and live. 




— Pollock. 



10 



JANUARY 3. 



Commit thy works unto the Lord. — Pkov. xvi. 3. 
HEN doubts or difficulties beset my path, do 
I at once take them to God, and ask him to 
make plain the way before me ? Do I perplex myself 
needlessly, as well as dishonor God, by endeavoring 
by my own wisdom to find my way through difficulty 
or in duty, thereby practically distrusting his promised 
guidance and help ? Before entering on any new work 
or undertaking, do I make it a point to ask his bless- 
ing, and to seek the guidance of his word, and prov- 
idence, and Spirit? 



If the Lord careth for thee, be thyself at rest ; for if 
he care, why shouldst thou care too ? His providence 
will provide if thou sincerely trust it. — Leighton. 

To make our reliance on Providence both pious and 
rational, we should, in every enterprise, prepare all 
things with the same care, diligence and activity that 
we would do if there were no such thing as Prov- 
idence for us to depend upon ; and then, when we 
have done all this, we should as wholly and humbly 
rely upon it, as if we had made no preparations at 
all. — South. 



Leave God to order all thy ways, 
And hope in him whate'er betide ; 

Thou' It find him, in the evil days, 

Thine all-sufficient strength and guide. 

Who trusts in God's unchanging love 

Builds on the rock that naught can move. 

— Neumaek. 




JANUAR Y 4. 



11 



Set your affection on things above. — Col. iii. 2. 
rT"HERE are my affections habitually set ? Is 



V V it on things above, or on things here below ? 
Am I living chiefly for this world, or for the next? 
What is there here that is worthy of my supreme 
love ? What is there there, that is not ? Do I not 
hope to dwell for ever there with my Saviour ? And 
if my endless home is to be there, and my everlasting 
treasure there, should not my heart be there also ? 



The sure way of not being conformed to the world, 
is to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. 
" If the bushel is filled with wheat," says another, 
" you may defy the devil to fill it with tares." If the 
gaze be steadfastly fixed upon heaven, it will not be 
distracted with the things of time and sense. — Jay. 

Lose not sight of Christ in this cloudy and dark day. 
He is the way — ever walk in him; the truth — ever 
receive his teachings ; the life — every day so live that 
you may for ever live in him. — Etjtherfoed. 

To fill your life with the spirit of heaven here, is 
the way to make sure of going to heaven hereafter. 
- — Thomas. 



Whatever passes as a cloud between 
The mental eye of faith and things unseen, 
Causing that higher world to disappear, 
To seem less lovely, or its hopes less clear, 
That is our world, our idol, though it bear 
Affection's impress or devotion's air. — Keble. 




12 



JANUARY 5. 



Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy 
might. — Eccl. ix. 10. 

AM I not only intelligent but decided in religion, 
not halting between God and the world ? Am 
I diligent and earnest in doing God's work in season 
and out of season, watching for opportunities, and 
not allowing them to slip from me through careless- 
ness or love of ease? Do I pray and strive to be 
whole-hearted and faithful in the service of Christ, so 
that if death should come suddenly it may not find 
me sleeping ? 



If sorrow could enter heaven, if a sigh could be 
heard there, or a tear roll down the cheek of a saint 
in light, it would be for lost opportunities, for the 
time spent in neglect of God which might have been 
spent for his glory. — Payson. 

It may seem possible now, by avoiding all extremes 
and all thoroughness in religion or in worldliness, to 
conform to both ; but in the day of separation it will 
be found to have been a failure for eternity — a failure 
as complete as it is disastrous and remediless. — Bonar. 

Satan selects his disciples when they are idle, but 
Christ chose his while they were busy at their work, 
either mending their nets or casting them into the sea. 
— Farrendon. 



Fill up each hour with what will last, 
Buy up the moments as they go ; 

The life above, when this is past, 

Is the ripe fruit of life below. — Bonar. 



JANUARY 6. 



13 



Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith. — 2 
Coe. xiii. 5. 

DO I follow this injunction of the apostle in all 
truth and sincerity? Do I examine myself by 
the standard of God's word as in the presence of One 
from whom nothing can be hid? Do I look to the 
foundation of my faith, and know if Christ is the rock 
on which I rest ? Do I remember that the heart is 
deceitful above all things ? And in the solemn work 
of self-examination, do I seek the enlightening aid 
of the Holy Spirit, that I may truly know myself and 
be led into all truth ? 

First examine. how you examine yourself. When 
a tradesman is about to weigh his goods, he must first 
of all adjust his scales, and see that his weights are 
right. It is a ruinous folly to measure ourselves by 
ourselves, and compare ourselves among ourselves. 
God's word is the only right standard of judgment. 

The height of all philosophy, both natural and 
moral, is to know thyself, and the end of this know- 
ledge is to know God. Know thyself that thou may- 
est know God ; and know God that thou may est love 
him. In the one thou art initiated into wisdom, and 
in the other perfected in it. — Qrr aeles. 



Help us to build each other up ; 

Help us ourselves to prove ; 
Increase our faith, confirm our hope, 

And perfect us in love. 
Light in thy light, grant we may see, 
And guide us ever nearer thee ! 



14 



JANUARY 7. 



Continuing instant in prayer. — Rom. xii. 12. 

A EE my prayers the sincere and earnest utter- 
ances of the desires of my heart ? Or are they 
listless, cold, formal, forced from me by conscience, 
the result, only, of habit, or extorted, perhaps, by 
alarm and fear ? Do I deeply feel the need of what I 
ask; and do I ask with unwavering faith in God's 
promises? The more frequently I pray, the nearer 
do I find myself to God — the more consecrated in 
heart and life to him ? 



Prayer is the preface to the book of Christian living ; 
the text of the life sermon ; the girding on of the armor 
for battle; the pilgrim's preparation for his journey. 
It must be supplemented by action, or it amounts to 
nothing. — Phelps. 

Prayer is the appeal of want to Him who only can 
relieve it ; it is the voice of sin to Him who alone can 
pardon it. It is the urgency of poverty ; the prostra- 
tion of humility ; the fervency of penitence ; the con- 
fidence of trust. It is not eloquence, but earnestness ; 
not the definition of helplessness, but the feeling of it ; 
not figures of speech, but compunction of the soul. It 
is the "Lord save us" of the drowning Peter; the cry 
of faith to the ear of mercy ; the communion of the 
child with the loving father. — Hannah Moee. 



For once I sought a time and place, 

For solitude and prayer ; 
But now, where'er I find thy face, 

I find a closet there ! 



JANUARY 8. 



15 



Put on the whole armor of God. — Eph. vi. 11. 
\0 I constantly and faithfully use all the weapons 



1 J which are divinely provided for the Christian's 
conflict with the powers of evil? Do I aim at all 
grace — at entire safety, and so put on the whole armor 
of God that no part may be left exposed to the darts 
of the destroyer ? Do I ever remember that all this 
defensive armor is God's, and not mine ; and that no 
armor of my own making could afford the least pro- 
tection in the day of temptation and conflict ? 

Christ has promised to strengthen and help, and up- 
hold all that put their trust in him, and to make them 
conquerors over every spiritual enemy. And as he is 
faithful to his word, we need never fear. Kather may 
we not say, " I will trust, and not be afraid ; for the 
Lord is my strength and my song ; he also is become 
my salvation/' — I. Smith. 

It is a device of Satan to seduce men into a drowsy 
state, and then beguile them with some dream. 
When religion becomes irksome, then he presents 
some novelty which allures and deceives, whereas, 
if we had been prepared, we should have detected 
the deceit and escaped the snare. — Cecil. 

Onward, Christian, onward go ! 
Join the conflict ; face the foe ! 
Faint not, much doth yet remain ; 
Dreary is the long campaign. 
Let your drooping heart be glad ; 
March in heavenly armor clad, 
Fight, nor think the battle long, 
Victory soon shall be your song ! 




— H. K. White. 



16 



JANUARY 9. 



Having a good conscience. — 1 Pet. iii. 16. 

0 I prayerfully endeavor to have a conscience 



1 J void of offence toward both God and man? Do 
I seek to enlighten my conscience by God's word, and 
then to keep it sensitive, tender, quick to perceive 
evil, and prompt to turn from it ? Do I live as under 
the eye of God, studying in all that I say and do, to 
regulate my daily life according to his will ? 



A tender conscience is like the apple of the eye — 
the least dust that gathers into it, affects it. There 
is no surer or better way to know whether our con- 
sciences are dead and stupid, than to watch what im- 
pression small sins make upon them. A tender and 
faithful conscience will no more allow of small sins, 
than of great. — Bishop Hopkins. 

A good conscience aims in all things to do right, 
both as to God and man. And to possess such a con- 
science, we must have it properly informed as to both 
truth and duty, quick to perceive the distinctions 
between good and evil, and prompt and faithful to do 
what is right. In sensitiveness it should be like 
the fabled ring, which pressed the finger at even the 
thought of wrong ; and in authority, as the voice of 
God to the soul. * 




What conscience dictates to be done, 

Or warns me not to do ; 
This, teach me more than hell to shun, 

That, more than heaven pursue. — Pope. 



JANUARY 10. 



17 



Be kindly affectioned one to another, in brotherly 
love. — Rom. xii. 10. 

HAVE I that true and pure affection to others 
which springs from a heart imbued with the 
love of God ? Do I cultivate a spirit of kindness and 
courtesy to all with whom I come in contact ? Am I 
habitually considerate, sympathizing, thoughtful of 
the feelings and happiness of others, willing to forget 
self that I may add to their comfort or do them good ? 
Does the love of God control my actions, influence my 
motives, prompt my words ? Am I kindly affectioned 
in little things as well as in great ; at home as well as 
abroad ; to the poor and lowly as well as to the great ? 

Life is made up not of great sacrifices or duties, but 
of little things, in which smiles and kindness and 
small obligations given habitually, are what win and 
preserve the heart, and both secure and give comfort. 
—Sir H. Davy. 

Civility is a charm that attracts the love of all men, 
and too much is better to show than too little. — 
Bishop Horne. 

This kind of affection puts us on to express our- 
selves both in word and action, with the utmost 
courtesy and obligingness that may be. — Matthew 

Henry. 

Teach me to live with kindly words for all, 

Wearing no cold, repulsive brow of gloom ; 
Waiting with cheerful patience, till thy call 
Summon my spirit to her heavenly home. 
There may the seeds that love on earth has sown, 
Bring forth a harvest blest around thy throne ! 
2 



18 



JANUARY 11. 



Si?no7i } son of Jonas, lovest thou me f — John xxi. 16. 
"T~^V 0 my thoughts, feelings, words, actions, all testify 



J * that I do indeed love Christ ? And does my 

love to him lead me to love the things that he com- 
mands, and the people whom he loves ? Are the great 
interests of his kingdom ever near to my heart ? Does 
the love of Christ constrain me to love his word, to 
cherish his Spirit, to walk in his ways, and in all 
things to endeavor to live for him? Does my life 
meet the test of the Saviour, " If a man love me, he 
will keep my words " ? 



Nearness of life to the Saviour will necessarily in- 
volve greatness of love to him. As nearness to the sun 
increases the temperature of the various planets, so 
near and intimate communion with Jesus, raises the 
heat of the soul's affections toward him. — Spttegeon. 

If thou neglectest love to thy neighbor, in vain 
thou professest thy love to God ; for by thy love to 
God love to thy neighbor is begotten, and by love 
to thy neighbor thy love to God is cherished and 
increased. — Qtjaeles. 



I love my God, but with no love of mine ; 

For I have none to give. 
I love thee, Lord ; but all the love is thine ; 

For by thy love I live. 
I am as nothing, and rejoice to be 
Emptied, and lost, and swallowed up in thee. 




— Gtjignon. 



JANUARY 12. 



19 



Create in me a clean heart, 0 God, and renew a 
right spirit within me. — Ps. li. 10. 

IS it my great desire that my corrupt and sinful 
nature should be changed ? Like David, do I feel 
the sinfulness of my heart ; and that, of myself, I am 
unable to cleanse it? And is my prayer, like his, 
" Create in me a clean heart, 0 God"? Do I study 
God's word to know hoiv the heart may be made 
clean ? Do I earnestly pray for the Holy Spirit, that 
my heart may be thoroughly cleansed ? 

Purity of heart implies a care of the heart, a dis- 
cipline of the imagination, a covenant with the eyes, 
an avoidance of all appearance of evil, a conscientious 
regulation of our secret thoughts, desires and affec- 
tions, as in the sight of God. It consists in such an 
inward change and renovation of the heart by the 
power of the Holy Spirit, as leads us to approve and 
comply with whatever is pure and holy and com- 
manded by God. — E. H. Nevin. 

Thy deserts for sin are, rejection, wrath, hell; Christ's 
deserts are, pardon, acceptance, life. If God by his 
Spirit hath shown thee the former, he will surely 
give thee the latter. — Caelos Wilcox. 

Oh, for a lowly, contrite heart, 

Believing, true and clean ! 
Which neither life nor death can part, 

From Him who dwells within : 
A heart in every thought renewed, 

And full of love divine ; 
Perfect and right and pure and good, 

A copy, Lord, of thine. — C. Wesley. 



20 



JANUARY 13. 



That I may know him — Phil. iii. 10. 
0 I, like Paul, desire above all things, to know 



. 1 J Christ ; to believe in him ; to have an exper- 
imental knowledge of him as my Saviour? Am I 
daily becoming more dead to sin — daily longing for a 
life of holiness — daily seeking to be conformed to his 
will; and filled with his Spirit? Do I find him an 
ever present friend, and comforter, and guide ; and do 
I endeavor in all things to live for him ? 



Christ is all that you need. He has all that you 
can want. Live upon him ; walk with him ; work for 
him ; aim in everything to glorify him, and he will be 
all in all to you. — James Smith. 

Get Christ for your portion, and you have all ; in- 
finite wisdom to direct, knowledge to teach, mercy to 
pity, love to care for and comfort, and power to pro- 
tect and keep and save you. — John Mason. 

"Do you feel that you love Christ ?" was asked of 
an aged and dying Christian. " Better than that/' 
was the reply, " Christ loves me." Eest in Christ's 
love to you, rather than in your love to him. 



Gladly the joys of earth we leave, 
Wealth, pleasure, fame — for thee alone ; 

To thee our will, soul, flesh, we give ; 
Oh, take and seal them for thine own ! 

From self and sin, Oh, set us free 

That we may find our all in thee ! 




— Montague. 



JANUARY '14. 



21 



lam the Lord, I change not. — Mal. iii. 6. 
S it a constant source of comfort to me to know 



I that as God is unchangeable, so are his promises? 
As he has promised to teach, guide, provide for, and 
save me, will he not do it ? And as he is unchange- 
able in his words of comfort, do I take warning from 
the fact that he is so in his words of admonition ? And 
does this thought make me watchful against sin? 



Whoever is changeable, God is not ; whoever false, 
he is true ; whoever may deceive, he is faithful. He 
will abide by his word ; make good his promises ; be 
ever mindful of his covenant. He changes not in his 
love, which is eternal ; in his purposes, which are from 
everlasting ; in his relation to us, for he is our Father ; 
in his sympathy, by which he feels for us in every joy 
and sorrow. As he is faithful to us, let us be so to 
him. — James Smith. 

He who looks upon Christ through frames and feel- 
ings, is like one who sees the sun on the water, and so 
sees it quivering and moving as the water moves. 
But he that looks upon him in the glass of his word 
by faith, sees him for ever the same. — Nottidge. 



Frames and feelings fluctuate ; 

These thy Saviour ne'er can be ; 
Love itself may oft abate ; 

Learn thyself in Christ to see; 
Then be feelings what they will, 
Jesus is thy Saviour still. 




22 



JANUARY 15. 



Even Christ pleased not himself. — Bom. xy. 3. 
\ TIGHT not the self-denial of Christ to be the 



V_y most powerful and effective argument against 
selfishness in his followers ? Do I seek my own 
comfort, ease, and pleasure before that of others? 
Is self-gratification or the good of others first in 
my thoughts? Do I cherish the spirit, and imitate 
the example of the Saviour in all my relations to 
my fellow -men ? 



To feel much for others, and little for ourselves, to 
restrain our selfish, and indulge our benevolent affec- 
tions, to deny self that we may do good to all about 
us, is the perfection of human nature. — Adam Smith. 

The will of God, is a path leading straight to him. 
Self-will is directly contrary to it : it leads from God. 
We must choose one or the other. — John Wesley. 

I expect to go through this world but once. If, 
therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any 
good thing I can do to any fellow-being, let me do 
it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall 
not pass this way again. — Wm, Penn. 



It was no path of flowers, 
Through this dark world of ours, 

Beloved of the Father, thou didst tread, 
And shall we in dismay, 
Shrink from the narrow way, 

Though clouds and darkness are around it spread? 




JANUARY 16. 



23 



Meditate upon these things. — 1 Tim. iv. 15. 

DO I meditate often, and seriously on the great 
truths and duties of God's word? And is it 
my earnest desire and prayer that all my meditations 
may be pleasing to God, and profitable to myself ? Do 
I love to dwell on God's character, his will, his good- 
ness and mercy, and on all his providential dealings 
with me ? And do I find in all reason for love and 
devout thankfulness, and food for my own growth in 
the divine life, and in preparation for heaven ? 



Be led by the Spirit to meditate very frequently on 
the things of God. Make a journey every day to the 
three mountains. Go to Sinai, and see your sins. Go 
to Calvary, and behold the Lamb of God. Go to Zion, 
and view the heavenly city. And let each view lead 
you to lean more entirely on Christ. — Eveeaed. 

Meditation is prayer's handmaid, to wait on it both 
before and after performance. It is as the plow before 
the sower, to prepare the heart for the duty of prayer ; 
and as the harrow, to cover the seed when it is sown. 
— Gtjenall. 



Work thou in me, and heavenward guide 
My thoughts and wishes, that my heart 

Waver no more, nor turn aside, 
But fix for ever where thou art. 

Aid me to meditate thy ways ; 

And thus for ever live thy praise. 



24 



JANUARY 17. 



We also believe, and therefore speak. — 2 Cob. iv. 13. 

DO I find that my faith is, through grace, a sover- 
eign cordial to my courage and strength as a 
soldier of the cross, and a powerful antidote against 
the despondency and sadness which trial and sorrow 
tend to produce? In the hour of temptation am I 
sustained by faith, and so kept faithful in duty ? And 
believing myself, do I endeavor to lead others to the 
same faith, that they may partake of its blessings? 



Faith, resting calmly upon God, is victorious over 
all besides. It is God who fights for the believer, with 
the believer, and in the believer. Faith does nothing 
alone, or of itself, but everything under God, by God, 
and through God. — Stoughtox. 

As we receive help and encouragement from the 
good words and examples of others, so we should be 
most careful to give good words and examples to 
others. — M. Henry. 

Faith is not a sense, nor sight, nor reason, but a 
taking God at his word. — Evans. 



Gracious Spirit, dwell with me, 
I myself would gracious be; 
With thy words that help and heal, 
Would thy life in mine reveal; 
And with actions bold and meek, 
Would for Christ, my Saviour, speak. 

— Lynch. 



JANUARY 18. 



25 



Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain 
thee.—Ts. lv. 22. 

DO I take God at his word, and roll all my bur- 
dens upon him ? Or do I keep a part of them 
for myself, trying to bear some in my own strength? 
Do I stay myself, in all circumstances, on his care and 
promise, resting in the assurance that all shall work for 
good if I trust him ? Have I ever found my Father's 
promise to fail? Why should I, for a moment, doubt 
him in this ? _____ 

God has not promised to free us immediately from 
the trouble that gives rise to our cares and fears ; but 
he will provide that we be not tempted above what 
we are able to bear. — M. Henry. 

One of the greatest lessons of life for the child of 
God, is, to let his heavenly Father carry every burden ; 
to cast all his care on him. And the godly do much 
wrong themselves by not improving this their sweet 
privilege. They too often forget this their sweet way, 
and fret themselves to no purpose ; wrestle with their 
burdens themselves, and do not entirely 'and freely roll 
them over on God. — Leighton. 



Say not, my soul, from whence, 

Can God relieve my care ? 
Eemember that omnipotence 

Has servants everywhere. — Lynch. 
When God shall cease his word to keep, 
Or when his watchful eye can sleep, 
My heart may then forget her faith, 
And sink ; neath sorrow — fail in death. 



26 



JANUARY 19. 



Oh that I had wings like a dove ! For then would 
I fly away, and be at rest. — Ps. lv. 6. 
TS my present life such as becomes one who hopes 



JL soon to exchange its toils and troubles for perfect 
and everlasting rest ? Does the thought of being for 
ever with the Lord, make heaven dear to me? When 
weary with the labors, and pressed with the burdens 
of the day, does the knowledge that they will soon be 
ended, help me to work more diligently, bear more cheer- 
fully, and look forward more hopefully, and thankfully, 
to the end ? . 

Many persons wish to enjoy heaven at last, who 
have no desire to be heavenly -minded yet. They 
would like the rest and blessedness of heaven, but 
have no wish for that holiness which is the only 
preparation for enjoying heaven, and the only evi- 
dence of fitness for it. * 

" My chief conception of heaven/' said Robert Hall, 
" is rest;" 11 and mine," said Wilberforce, " is love." It 
is both. It is the union of perfect love with perfect 
rest : of love going forth in holy service, and rest in 
the service and blessedness of perfect love. * 

One sweetly solemn thought, comes to me o'er and o'er, 
I'm nearer to my home to-day, than ever I've been 
before ! 

Nearer my Father's house, where the many mansions 



Nearer the great white throne ; nearer the jasper sea! 
Nearer the bound of life, where I lay my burdens down ; 
Nearer leaving each cross of grief; nearer to wearing 
my crown ! — Phcebe Cary. 




be; 



JANUAR Y 20. 



27 



To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your 
hearts. — Heb. iii. 7, 8. 

HAYE I gladly and thankfully accepted the offer 
of salvation, or am I still delaying, and so tri- 
fling with it ? Am I diligent and faithful in the service 
of Christ, or still living for self, and the world, and sin ? 
And if, under all the light and appeals of divine truth, 
my heart becomes hardened, is it not my own act and 
choice, and will not the blame and loss and guilt be mine 
for ever ? _____ 

If the very idea of having a hard heart makes you 
tremble, it is a sure sign that your heart is not hard. 
— St. Bebnabd. 

Late repentance should be carefully distinguished 
from delayed repentance. True repentance is never 
too late; but delayed repentance is seldom true. The 
penitent thief's repentance was late, but we have no 
evidence that it was delayed when the truth was made 
clear to him. — Henby. 

I have seen many dying beds ; I have seen many in all 
stages of their last sickness, but never have I yet seen 
a dying bed which seemed to me to be a proper place 
to make preparation for eternity. — Albeet Babnes. 

Behold a Stranger at the door ! 

He gently knocks ; has knocked before ; 

Has waited long ; is waiting still ; 

You treat no other friend so ill. 

Admit him ere his anger burn ; 

His feet departed, ne'er return ; 

Admit him, or the hour's at hand, 

You'll at his door rejected stand. — Geegg. 



28 



JANUARY 21. 



Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house. — 
Ps. xx vi. 8. 

CAN I truly say, that I love the house of God ? 
Do I esteem it a precious privilege to attend 
within its walls ; to join in its praises ; to unite in its 
supplications ; to hear its sacred lessons of truth and 
duty, that I may become wiser and better — better 
fitted for God's service and for heaven ? Do I pray 
for God's blessing on all its services, and seek to be 
profited b}^ them ? Do I endeavor to lead others with 
me to the house of God? 



Blessed day ! when resting from the toils of the 
week, we may go up to the house of God, and uniting 
with our fellow-Christians, may with one heart, sup- 
plicate the same mercies, pour forth the same praises, 
hearken to the same great truths, be pointed to the 
same Saviour, and prepared for the same heaven. * 

Through the week we go clown into the valleys of 
care and shadow and toil. But our Sabbaths should 
be hills of light and joy in God's presence. And so, 
as time rolls by, we shall go from mountain top to 
mountain top, till at last we catch the glory of the 
gate, and enter in, to go no more out for ever ! 



And so there shines one day in seven, 
Bright Avith the special mark of heaven ; 
That we. with love and praise, may dwell 
On him who loveth us so well : 
And foretastes gain, in worship blest, 
Of heaven's eternal day of rest ! 



JANUARY 22. 



29 



The heart is deceitful above all things, and desper- 
ately wicked. — Jer. xvii. 9. 

DO I acknowledge and feel, that there are more seeds 
of sinfulness in my heart than at once spring np 
and bear fruit in conduct? Does not my heart too 
often put evil for good and good for evil ? Am I not 
blind to my own besetting sins, and eagle-eyed to the 
sins of others ? Do I feel that I do not fully know my 
heart, and its weakness in the hour of temptation? 
And do I constantly pray that God would search and 
try me, and lead me in the way everlasting ? 

There is tinder enough in the best men's hearts, to 
light a fire that would burn to the lowest hell, if God 
did not quench the sparks. There is enough corrup- 
tion, depravity, and wickedness in the heart of the 
holiest man alive, to destroy him for ever, if God's free 
and sovereign grace did not prevent. — Spurg-eon. 

The seriousness of any sin is not to be judged by the 
greatness of the incentive, or the grossness of the ac- 
tion. When the Lord says, " Thou shalt not," and his 
rebellious creature says, "I will," whether the contest 
be about an apple or a kingdom, it is stubbornness and 
rebellion. — Scott. _____ 

Lord, with this guilty heart of mine, 

To thy dear cross I flee ; 
And to thy grace my soul resign, 

To be renewed by thee. 
Sprinkled afresh with pardoning blood, 

I lay me down to rest, 
As in the embraces of my God, 

Or on my Saviour's breast. — Watts. 



30 



JANUARY 23. 



There is a friend that sticheth closer than a broth er. 
— Peov. xviii. 24. 

~T TAVE I taken Christ as my Saviour, and so, as 



fact that he is the loving, sympathizing, unfailing 
friend of his people? And do I give him the only 
return that he asks — the full confidence and affection 
of a loving and grateful heart ? Am I truly thank- 
ful for the inestimable blessings which this Friend of 
friends gave his life to purchase for me ? Does my 
life manifest my love to him ? 



The Christian should never be dejected under afflic- 
tion, because he has God for his friend, and father, and 
everlasting portion. — Spencee. 

He who has found the Saviour, has found something 
more than a wise counselor, a moral remedy, or a good 
physician. He has found an all-sufficient, never-fail- 
ing, and ever-sympathizing friend. — Hamilton. 

When President Edwards came to die, after bidding 
all his relatives farewell, his last words were, " And 
now where is Jesus of Nazareth, my true and never- 
failing friend ?" and so saying he sweetly fell asleep. 
Jesus is a friend, ever near and ever true ; the best 
friend for earth or heaven. — Fostee. 



Weak though we are, Christ still is near, 

To lead, console, defend ; 
In all our sorrow, sin, and fear, 

Our all-sufficient friend. 
In highest heaven, or lowliest sod, 
The surest, truest friend is God ! 




Do I find comfort in the 



JANUAR Y 24. 



31 



It is I; be not afraid. — Matt. xiv. 27. 

IN this assurance of the blessed Saviour, have I not 
the strongest ground of confidence that he will 
ever be a hiding-place from the storm, and a refuge 
from the tempest? No matter how the winds of 
trouble may sweep, or the waves of calamity may 
roar, is not Christ with his disciples, as of old, rebuk- 
ing the storm, and giving the assurance of safety and 
peace ? Do I look away from the clouds and darkness 
that so often gather, to my ever-present Saviour, and 
never lose my trust in him ? 

Tribulation cannot separate you from the love of 
God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. But the love 
of God will, in the end, separate you from tribulation, 
and bring you out of it, and give you fullness of joy. 
— J. Hewitson. 

Do thy part with industry, and leave the event with 
God. I have seen matters fall out so unexpectedly, 
that they have taught me, in all affairs, neither to 
despair nor presume ; not to despair, for God can help 
me ; not to presume, for God can cross me. I will 
never presume, because I am a man. I will never 
despair, because I have a God. — Feltham. 

God is my trust ! my soul, be not afraid ! 

Thy helper will abide. 
" IT1 not forsake thee !" he has kindly said, 

He's ever at my side ; 
In strength or weakness will stand by me ; 
No real good will he deny me ; 
In everything that can betide me, 

God is my trust ! 



32 



JANUARY 25. 



My Lord and my God. — John xx. 28. 
0 I realize that if I am without faith, then I am 



I J without Christ, or grace, or hope, or heaven? 
And feeling my sinfulness, do I take Christ as my 
Lord and my God? Is he my wisdom, to enlighten: 
my righteousness, to justify and pardon; my sanctifi- 
cation, to purify and cleanse my soul ; my redemption, 
to complete the work of grace in bringing me safely 
to heaven ? Do I look to him for all that I need for 
time and eternity? 



Him whom we have learned to trust as our Saviour, 
and love as our friend, and follow as our master, and 
adore as our divine Redeemer, with Thomas, in wonder 
and worship, we also hail as our Lord and our God. 
— James Hamilton. 

Acknowledge Christ as your Lord and your God. 
And in every duty, look to him ; before duty, to per- 
form; in duty, to assist; after duty, to accept. Look 
not a moment away from Christ. Look not upon sin 
only, but upon Christ as the Saviour from its power. 



God of my salvation, hear, 

And help me to believe ; 
Simply to thee I draw near 

Thy blessing to receive. 
Full of guilt, alas ! I am, 

But to thee for refuge nee ; 
Friend of sinners ! spotless Lamb, 

Thy blood was shed for me ! 




JANUAR Y 26. 



33 



We walk by faith; not by sight. — 2 Cor. v. 7. 

AM I content to leave the explanation of life's 
many mysteries till I reach the nnseen world, 
where I shall know even as I am known? For the pres- 
ent, do I endeavor to trust, knowing that now is the 
trial of my faith, and that God knows far better than 
I can, what is best for me here ? In all circumstances 
do I rejoice that he is on the throne, and rely on his 
wisdom and goodness as ordering all for the good of 
those that trust him ? 



Faith is the root of all blessings. Believe, and you 
shall be saved. Believe, and you must needs be sat- 
isfied. Believe, and you cannot choose but be com- 
forted and happy — Jeremy Taylor. 

Faith though weak, is still faith ; a glimmering taper, 
if not a glowing torch : but the taper may give light 
as truly as the torch, though not so brightly. — H. 
Mtjller. 

Trust him when you cannot trace him. Do not try 
to penetrate the cloud which he brings over you, and 
to look through it. Bather keep your eye fixed stead- 
ily on the bow that is on the cloud. The mystery is 
God's : the promise is yours. — Macduff. 



Be trustful ; cheerful faith will bring 

A living joy to thee, 
And make thy life a hymn of praise, 

From doubt and murmurs free ; 
Whilst, like the sunbeams, thou wilt bless, 
And bring to others happiness. 
3 



34 



JANUARY 27. 



Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. — John xxi. 17. 
A/ NO WING in my own experience the blessed- 



l X ness of the gospel, do I endeavor to make its 
truth known to others, and to lead them to the Saviour 
in whom is all my trust ? Do my words spring from 
sincere interest in their spiritual welfare ? Is my heart, 
in speaking, deeply imbued with the love of Christ ? 
Is my manner in keeping with my teaching ? Does my 
life impress the lessons of my lips ? 



If the world is ever to be conquered for our Lord, 
it is not by ministers, or office-bearers, or the great 
and noble and mighty, but by every Christian man 
and woman being a working-member ; doing their own 
work ; filling their own sphere ; each speaking, and 
working, and living for Christ, in all circumstances, 
and every day. — Dr. Guthrie. 

Every faithful Christian should be a teacher of 
Bible truth, and an example of Bible duty. To in- 
dividual faithfulness and effort, God has committed 
the welfare of others. If we truly love Christ and 
prize the salvation he offers, we shall endeavor to 
lead others to him. * 



Shall chant thine own beatitudes, 

After its own life working. A child kiss, 

Set on thy sighing lips, shall make thee glad : 

A poor man served by thee, shall make thee rich : 

A sick man helped by thee, shall make thee strong : 

Thou shalt be served tlryself by every sense 

Of service thou dost render. — E. Beowning. 




Thv love 



JANUARY 28. 



35 



None shall be alone in his appointed time. — Isa. 
xiv. 31. 

HEN, through circumstances, I may be out- 
wardly alone, does the sense of God's pres- 
ence give me fellowship with him, and so afford peace 
and joy ? Do I know, by experience, the truthfulness 
of the Saviour's promise, "I will not leave you com- 
fortless : I will come to you " ? In solitude do I hold 
conscious communion with him, and so find both 
strength and comfort to my soul? Is it not comfort- 
ing to know that he appoints my hours of loneliness, 
and that in solitude or depression he is always near ? 

The Lord thinks upon you ; he is with you at all 
times ; he will never leave or forsake you. He is a 
friend, a brother, a Lord : a friend, to guide you with 
ccunsel ; a brother, to sympathize with you in loneli- 
ness or sorrow ; a Lord, to defend you from evil, and 
to make all things work together for your good. * 

I am as certain as that I live, that nothing is so 
near to me as God. As my Father, and as my best 
and truest Friend, he is near to me in every bright and 
joyous, and in every clouded and trying scene of life. 

— Tatjler. 

Alone! believer, child of God? 

It is not so ; it cannot be ! 
Though all were cold beneath the sod, 
Who ever loved or thought of thee, 
Yet still the high and holy One, 

Is with thee — will be, to the end. — 
Thou hast the Father and the Son ; 
Art thou alone with such a Friend ? 




3G 



JANUARY 29. 



Let us walk in the light of the Lord. — Is A. ii. 5. 

DO I make real and diligent use of the light which 
God has given to enable me to walk safely 
through the darkness of this world to the realms of 
endless day ? Do I open the eyes of my conscience 
and heart to the light of revelation ? Do I walk in that 
light myself, and endeavor to lead others to walk in 
it ? Am I truly grateful for my many privileges and 
means of grace ? And is my gratitude manifest in a 
life of holy obedience ? 



If we walk in the light of God's truth and love, that 
light will not merely beam on our path, but it will be 
reflected from ourselves to others. Our brightness 
will be seen ; and as the streaming rays from the 
lighthouse reach far out to sea, where troubled 
mariners are seeking the shore, so the light of our 
life will point men to the haven of rest. * 

Keep your face toward the Sun of righteousness, 
and you will have before you nothing but its bright 
light and comforting heat. But turn your back to it, 
and before you will be shadows and darkness, and the 
chill will enter your soul. — Spencee. 



Walk but with God, from darkness light shall shine, 
And out of present sorrows, joy shall rise. 

Trust, then, in faith, the guardian hand divine ; 
And know that God, supremely good and wise, 
Will pour his light, and lead thee to the skies. 



JANUARY SO. 



37 



The Lord w ill he the hope of his people. — Joel iii. 16. 

AM I indeed one of the Lord's people? Is my 
life such as to give evidence to myself and to 
others, that my faith is a living faith, and my hope 
that good hope which is an anchor to the soul ? In 
perplexity, or affliction, or trouble, do I find that the 
Lord is my hope, and that I am sustained and com- 
forted by my trust in him ? 



He that has taken the Lord for his hope, has within 
him the germ of undying courage and joy. In dark- 
ness he has light ; in despondency, support ; in conflict, 
courage ; in affliction, comfort ; in death, the prospect 
of eternal life. — T. Bkooks. 

As an anchor thrown to the bottom of the sea, holds 
the ship fast amid storms and tempests, so the Chris- 
tian's hope penetrates the waves of this troublous 
world, and holds fast the soul amid the waves of 
sorrow and sin. — Haven. 



There are those who sigh that no fond heart is theirs ; 

None loves them best. 0 vain and selfish sigh ! 
Out of his tender love the Father spares 

His well -beloved Son for thee to die. 
For thee he died ; for thee he lives again ; 
O'er thee he watches in his boundless reign . 

— Keble. 



38 



JANUARY 31. 



Try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there 
be any wicked way in me. — Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24. 

HAYE I the same consciousness of sincerity and 
rectitude of purpose which enabled David to 
appeal to God to search and try his heart? Do 
I remember that he is omniscient, so that every 
thought is known to him, and nothing can escape 
his notice, and that what may be carefully concealed 
from men, is naked and open before him — the God 
of infinite purity and holiness ? Do I endeavor so to 
live as to be approved of him ? 



Let us remember that mere outward reformation 
differs as much from regeneration, as whitewashing 
an old rotten house, differs from taking it down and 
building a new one in its room. — Toplady. 

Let the Christian often compare his former condition, 
as a sinner unsaved, with his state as a renewed be- 
liever, that his love and gratitude may be excited, and 
his affections drawn to Him who has wrought the 
change. — Flavel. 



0 thou, to whose all-searching sight 
The darkness shineth as the light, 
Search, prove my heart ; it pants for thee ; 
0 burst these bonds and set it free ! 
Wash out its stains ; refine its dross ; 
Nail its affections to the cross : 
Hallow each thought ; let all within 
Be cleansed, as thou, my Lord, art clean. 

— C. Wesley. 



FEBRUARY 1. 



39 



Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God; thy 
spirit is good ; lead me into the land of uprightness. 
— Ps. cxliii. 10. 

TT \ 0 I pray not only to know God's will, but for 



1 J grace to do it ? Is it my desire to understand 
every way of duty, and faithfully to walk in it ? If 
I have taken God for my portion, why should I not 
depend on him for truth, for instruction, for guidance, 
for help that I may do all his will ? Do I earnestly 
pray for his Spirit to incline and lead me to holy 
living, that I may honor him, and do good to men ? 



When harassed by doubt or unbelief — when books 
do not satisfy, and reasonings are not conclusive, com- 
mit the matter to the Lord ; and as he sends forth his 
Spirit of truth, and by that best of casuists leads you 
to the ways of uprightness, you will lind rest to your 
soul. 

Try to put well in practice what you already know ; 
and in so doing, you will, in good time, discover the 
hidden things which you now inquire about. Practice 
what you know, and it will help to make clear what 
now you do not know. — Rembrandt. 



Lead me, O Christ, 'mid doubt, or circling gloom, 

Lead thou me on ; 
The night is dark, and I am far from home, 

Lead thou me on. 
Keep thou my feet ; I do not ask to see 
The distant scene — one step's enough for me. 




40 



FEBRUARY 2. 



Be clothed vjith humility. — 1 Pet. v. 5. 

AS Christ, the Lord of life and glory, humbled 
himself even to the death of the cross, does it 
not become us to imitate his example, — to put away 
high and proud thoughts, and to be meek and lowly 
in heart and conduct? Do I cherish this spirit, 
prayerfully endeavoring to lay aside self-exalting 
thoughts, and to walk humbly before God ? Am I 
willing to be made all things to all men, if so I may 
do good, and glorify my divine Master? 

I remember the thoughts I used to have of holiness ; 
but no part of it had, to me, so great a sense of love- 
liness as humility and brokenness of heart ; and there 
was nothing I so longed for. My heart panted after 
this, to be low in the dust, that I might be nothing, 
and that God might be all ; that I might become a 
little child. — Pres. Edwards. 

Humility is not self-contempt, or groveling in the 
dust of blind abasement. It is but a just self-estimate 
before God and man ; seeing ourselves just as God sees 
us. We should cherish its spirit and practice it in con- 
duct, for it is the noblest and happiest state of the soul. 
If truly humble, our hearts will be right toward God, 
and our life will go forth in kindness and love to men. 

* 

A little while, 0 Lord, and we 

In glory shall behold thy face : 
Teach us till then, to take with thee, 

Thy place on earth — the lowest place. 

God many a spiritual house has reared, but never one, 
Where lowliness was not first laid — the corner stone. 



FEBRUARY 3. 



41 



Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. 
— Matt. xxvi. 41. 

AM I sufficiently watchful against the power of 
temptation ? And while I watch against it. do 
I earnestly pray to be kept from its influence ? Is there 
not deep and special meaning in the repeated injunc- 
tions of Christ, that we do both? Do I study to know 
the sins that easily beset me within, and the perils to 
which I am exposed without ? And for safety from 
both, do I both watch and pray ? 



Strive to make prayer and reading and holy com- 
pany your delight, and little by little your soul shall 
be filled with the sweetness of Christ. — Butherford. 

"We should watch against dangers ; watch for oppor- 
tunities of usefulness ; watch for all means of spiritual 
improvement and growth ; watch for all sources of 
increase in the knowledge of Christ, and for all that 
may prepare us for heaven. — J. Bate. 

We should act with as much energy as those who 
expect everything for themselves ; and we should pray 
with as much earnestness as those who expect every- 
thing from God. — Colton. 



Seek thou thy God alone by prayer, 
And thou may est doubt, perchance despair ; 
But seek him by sincere endeavor, 
And thou shalt find him gracious ever. 
Let prayer and toil both seek thine end, 
The blessing surely will descend. 



42 



t FEBRUARY 4. 



The Lord God will enlighten my darkness. — Ps. 
xviii. 28. 

' I \0 I think too much of earthly teachers, and de- 



, I * pend too much on their teaching, instead of 
going directly, and at all times, to Him who is the 
light, as well as life of the world ? Do I bear in mind 
that he cannot err; and do I go to his word, and 
watch his providence, that I may know, always, the 
way of truth and duty? In all circumstances of 
doubt or darkness or difficulty, do I look to God for 
light and guidance, and patiently wait till he makes 
plain my way ? . 

The philosophers, as Yarro tells us, counted up three 
hundred and twenty answers to the question, " What 
is the supreme good ?" How needful, then, is a divine 
revelation, to make plain what is the true end of our 
being ! * 

We may read many truths in the Bible, but we 
never know them savingly till God by his Spirit 
shines into our hearts. If we sincerely seek light 
from above, it will always be given us. 

Let Christ be to you really the Son of God, the 
Saviour, and his light will dispel the darkness, and his 
Spirit lead you into all truth. — D'Aubigne. 



Father ! 0 Father ! though the way is black, 
Keep me still near and guide me on to thee ; 

Oft I am falling, for the untrodden track 
Is rough, and full of stones that weary me. 

Grant me thy strength, I then shall persevere, 

And safely reach at last the heavenly sphere. 




FEBRUARY 5. 



43 



There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the mes- 
senger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I should be exalted 
above measure. — 2 Cos. xii. 7. 

HEN temptations or trials press upon my 
soul with, the sharpness of thorns, do I re- 
member that God sends, or permits them, to try my 
faith, and to keep me humble ? And do I acknowledge 
his hand, and see his design in all, and pray for grace 
wisely to improve under the dealings of his provi- 
dence, that they may lead me nearer to him, and 
better fit me for heaven? 



Life has such hard conditions to us sinners, that 
every dear and precious gift, every rare virtue, every 
pleasant faculty, every genial endowment, love, hope, 
joy, wit, sprightliness, benevolence, must sometimes 
be put into the crucible to distill the one elixir — 
patience and submission. — Dodge. 

Eeal Christian humility is a grace of the Spirit, and 
has its seat in the heart. It is gained more by be- 
lieving on Christ and looking to him, than by dwell- 
ing upon our sins and unworthiness. 



Thou knowest I need a cross to bear ; 
And needful strokes thou dost not spare, 

To keep me near thy side. 
But when I see the chastening rod 
In thy pierced hand, my Lord, my God, 

I then feel satisfied ! — C. Wilkins. 




44 



FEBRUARY 6. 



Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall 
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. — Luke 



0 not these promises give the strongest en- 



. 1 J couragement at all times to come boldly to tha 
throne of grace ? And if the thought of a throne in- 
spires awe, is not the fact that it is a throne of grace, 
full of encouragement even to the chief of sinners ? Do 
I then come diligently, earnestly, often, to the mercy- 
seat, that I may receive pardon, grace, and strength, 
according to my need? 



A holy boldness, a chastened familiarity, is the true 
spirit of prayer. When God pours out his Spirit on 
man, then man will pour out his heart before God. 
The breath of prayer comes from the life of faith. 
— John Mason. 

That is a false humility, which, because it is un- 
worthy of the gifts of God, dares not expect them 
True humility consists in a deep view of our utter 
unworthiness and in an absolute abandonment of 
self to God, without the slightest doubt that he will 
do great things for us. — Fenelon. 



God is in the loneliest spot 
Present, though thou see him not ; 
Morning vows and evening prayer 
Make a Bethel everywhere. 
Go where duty guides thy feet : 
There good angels thou shalt meet ; 
Hosts of God thou canst not see, 
Watch thy steps and wait on thee. 



xi. 9. 




FEBRUARY 7. 



45 



The entrance of thy words giveth light. — Ps. cxix. 130. 
"T~\0 I make the word of God my diligent and 



prayerful study ? Do I feel that my heavenly 
Father is speaking to me personally in its pages, 
making clear his truth, making plain the way of my 
duty, and giving me all the encouragement I need as 
I press on in his service ? Is it my heartfelt desire 
and earnest prayer, that the knowledge of God's word 
should not only enter my head, but be felt in my 
heart, and be manifest in my life ? 



In what light soever we regard the Bible, whether 
with reference to revelation, to history, or to morality, 
it is an invaluable and inexhaustible mine of know- 
ledge and virtue. — J. Q. Adams. 

It is a belief in the Bible, the fruit of deep medita- 
tion, which has served me as the guide of my moral 
and literary life. — Goethe. 

Wilmot, the infidel, when dying, laid his trembling, 
emaciated hand on the Bible, and exclaimed solemnly 
and with unwonted energy, " The only objection 
against this book, is a bad life." 



The light of reason cannot give 

Life to my soul. 
Jesus alone can make me truly live. 

One glance of his can make my spirit whole. 
Arise, 0 Christ, I pray thee, then, and shine 
On this poor, longing, waiting heart of mine. 




— BlCHTER. 



46 



FEBRUARY 8. 



In -your patience possess ye your souls. — Luke 



0 I remember that it is a high attainment, as 



I J well as a binding duty, to rule my own spirit — 
to keep the passions and emotions of my heart under 
control? Do I prayerfully cultivate patience? Am 
I patient under rebuke, not answering again ; patient 
under injury, blessing those that hate me; patient 
under provocation, remembering Him, who, when he 
was reviled, reviled not again ; patient in adversity 
or suffering, ready to wait the Lord's time for deliver- 
ance ; patient in duty, faithfully enduring to the end ? 



Christ went to heaven through many a wrong and 
many a suffering. His visage and countenance were 
all marred, more than the sons of men. You may not 
be above your Master. — Rutheefoed. 

In suffering times, set patience on the guard for the 
preserving of your souls. By it keep out all those 
impressions which would ruffle you, and put you out 
of temper. In all things run with patience the race 
set before you in Christ Jesus, and the crown shall be 
yours in the end. 



Enduring wrong, reproach, or grief, 
With sweet and steadfast will : 

Loving and blessing those who hate, 
Returning good for ill ; 

Patient in suffering, toil, or loss, 

And glorying only in the cross ! 



xxi. 19. 




FEBR UAR Y 9. 



47 



There is one mediator between God and men, the 
man Jesus Christ. — 1 Tim. ii. 5. 
Ii REELING my sinfulness, do I look to Christ only 



JL' for salvation ? Do I see and feel that mere re- 
pentance for the past, or morality, or any thing that 
I can do, cannot avail to save me? And do I rest all 
my hopes on the atoning death and meritorious inter- 
cession of Jesus ? And though I would be obedient 
and holy, is it as the fruit of love to the Saviour, and 
not as the ground of reliance for salvation ? Do all 
my hopes rest on Christ, and only on him ? 



If you seek to divide the work of salvation with 
any other, whether in heaven or earth, you seek to 
rob Christ of his glory as the only and all-sufficient 
Saviour. His is the only name given under heaven 
among men, whereby we can be saved. — Payson. 

" For Christ's sake," is only another expression for 
the great truth, that all our holy emotions and ex- 
pectations are dependent on him ; that his death was 
a sacrifice for our sins ; and in his mercy is our only 
hope. To feel reliance on his merit, and to trust only 
in his name, is the mark of true Christian experience. 
The man who does not feel this, is dead. — Walker. 



Jesus, my great high priest, 
Hath shed his blood, and died : 

My guilty conscience needs 
No sacrifice beside. 

His precious blood did once atone, 

And now it pleads before the throne. 




— Watts. 



48 



FEBRUARY 10. 



Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedi- 
ence of Christ. — 2 Cob. x. 5. 
I \0 I endeavor, in humble dependence on Christ, 



I J to crucify every sinful thought, and feeling, and 
purpose, that I may humbly and faithfully serve him ? 
Do I feel my ignorance, and go to him for light : my 
weakness, and go to him for strength ; my proneness 
to wander, and constantly pray that he will keep me ? 
Vain imaginations, proud reasonings, high thoughts 
of self — all these do I sacrifice at the cross ? 

The happiness of man consists not in exemption 
from trials, but in having his will swallowed up in 
the will of God. 

From the altars of our hearts let the incense of 
holy meditation, and fervent prayer, and cheerful 
thanksgiving ever be ascending. Let the pure lights 
of faith and holy living shine, and never be extin- 
guished. Let our souls be refreshed and strength- 
ened by the Bread of Life. Let us remember thy 
sacred laws and treasure up thine unfailing promises. 
Suffer nothing unclean to enter into our souls. Keep 
us from the power of temptation. Sanctify us to thy- 
self, and be thou ever sanctified in us. 

If in our daily task our mind 

Be set to hallow all we find, 

New treasures still, of countless price, 

God will provide for sacrifice. 

The trivial round, the common task, 

Would furnish all we ought to ask, 

Boom to deny ourselves — a road 

To bring us daily nearer God. — Keble. 




FEBRUARY 11. 



49 



Your heavenly Father hnoweth that ye have need 
of all these things. — Matt. vi. 32. 
"T^^v 0 I realize that God, my heavenly Father, knows 



I J all my wants even better than I do myself ; that 
no bodily or temporal want is too trivial to be over- 
looked by him ? If he clothes the lilies with beauty, 
and feeds the ravens when they cry, much more does 
he not care for his children ? Shall I not, then, go to 
him with every care, and want, and trouble, knowing 
that, from his abundant fullness, he will provide for all 
that 1 need? 

Thy Marahs, as well as Elims, are appointed by 
him. His gracious pillar-cloud is before thee. Follow 
it through sunshine and storm, and it will not lead 
thee astray. He, thy heavenly Father, knoweth that 
you have need of all these things. — -Macduff. 

Your Father is so rich that he owns everything ; so 
wise, that he knows everything ; so mighty, that he 
can do everything ; so generous, that he will not with- 
hold any good thing from them that love him. Surely, 
then, you can dismiss all care, and silence every mur- 
mur, and keep your heart in perfect peace. — D. March. 



Commit thou all thy wants 

And ways into his hands, 
To His sure truth and tender care, 

Who earth and heaven commands. 
No profit canst thou gain 

By self-consuming care ; 
To him commend thy cause, his ear 

Attends thy softest prayer. 




— Gerhardt. 



4 



50 



FEBRUARY 12. 



Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and 
for ever. — Heb. xiii. 8. 

I \0 I practically believe in the unchangeableness 



I J of Christ, and ever trust him as my unchanging 
Redeemer ? Does this belief at all times give me con- 
fidence and comfort, especially in the day of darkness 
and trial ? Though my heart may be changeful, and 
its moods and feelings fluctuate, do I still feel that my 
Saviour changes not, and that his love is for ever the 
same ? Do I therefore endeavor to look away from 
self, to Christ, the unchanging Rock? 



God's promises, like himself, are from everlasting to 
everlasting. The mountains may depart and the hills 
be removed, but his word abideth for ever. No 
creature in all the world, or even in lying, audacious 
hell, shall ever say, that he trusted in God and was 
disappointed. — Beechee. 

Whoever is changeable, God is unchanging. "Who- 
ever is false, God is true. Whoever may deceive, God 
is faithful. He will abide by his word ; make good 
his promises, and ever be mindful of his covenant. So 
that we may ever, and most safely trust in him. — J. 
Smith. _____ 



Mine is an unchanging love, 
Higher than the heights above ; 
Deeper than the depths beneath, 
Free and faithful, strong as death, 
Thou shalt see my glory soon, 
When the work of grace is done. 




— Cowper. 



FEBRUARY 13. 



51 



Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not 
to be repented of. — 2 Cok. vii. 10. 

HAVE I felt that godly sorrow for sin, and that 
deep humiliation in view of it, which are neces- 
sary to true repentance ? Has it wrought in me " in- 
dignation" at sin? Has it wrought "fear" — the fear 
of distrust, not of God, but of myself? Has it wrought 
a " vehement desire " after thorough reformation of 
heart and life? Has it led me to turn from sin, not 
merely because it is ruinous, but because it is wrong, 
and offensive to God ? 



Repentance is not merely an act : it is a habit, lead- 
ing us more and more to turn from the ways of sin, 
to the ways of righteousness. True repentance, says 
Ambrose, is to cease from sin ; and as long as we are 
subject to sin, so long we must be striving to cease 
from it. * 

I hope to continue my penitence to the very end of 
life ; for every day I find I am a sinner, and every day 
I need to repent : — and so by God's help I mean to 
carry my repentance to the very gates of heaven. If 
I repent every day for the sins of every day, when I 
come to die I shall have the sin of but one day to re- 
pent of. — Philip Henry. 



A broken heart, 0 Lord, 

Thou never wilt despise ; 
'Tis written in thy holy word 

This is the sacrifice 
That thou in Christ wilt always own, 
The broken, contrite heart alone ! 



52 



FEBRUARY ££. 



I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. 
— Ps. xvii. 15. 

DO I not find that the world, with all that it 
offers, cannot satisfy the soul ? Even if it were 
satisfying, is it not unsure ? And even if sure for a 
time, will it not soon pass away ? Do I then look for 
abiding happiness only in Christ ? Do I feel that only 
his love can satisfy me, both now and for ever ? All 
my hopes do I rest on him ? 

I have seen much of life, and have found, as you 
will find, that every one has something in this world, 
either real or imaginary, that keeps him from being 
completely happy here. — Sir Walter Scott. 

Here, on earth, we are never completely satisfied, 
either with ourselves, or the external circumstances of 
life. But in heaven we shall be, perfectly : satisfied 
with all the past, God's ways will be seen to have been 
faithful and true ; satisfied with ourselves, or rather 
with all the grace of God has made us ; satisfied with 
our associates — the holy ones of heaven ; satisfied with 
our employments — serving and praising God ; satisfied 
with our prospects — eternal and ever- increasing bless- 
edness and glory. * 

There is a land where every pulse is thrilling 

"With* raptures earth's sojourners never know, 
Where heaven's repose the weary heart is stilling, 

And peacefully life's time-tossed currents flow. 
Thither my weak and weary steps are tending ; 

Saviour and Lord, with thy frail child abide ; 
Guide me toward home, where, all my wanderings 
ended, 

I there shall see thee, and be satisfied ! 



FEBRUARY 15. 



53 



Blessed is the man that maheth the Lord his trust. 
— Ps. xl. 4. 

DO I so trust in the Lord as to put away anxiety 
for the future, leaving to the grace and strength 
promised for the morrow, the doing of the morrow's 
work, and the bearing of the morrow's burdens? 
Since God has promised to provide for every day's 
necessities as they arise, why should I trouble my- 
self with anxieties or fears, and thus waste the 
strength that is needed for duty and conflict? 



Anxiety is the poison of human life. It is the 
parent of many sins, and of more miseries. It can- 
not alter the course, or unravel the intricacy of 
human events. Why then allow it, when we know 
that all the future is guided by a Father's hand? — 
Blair. 

He who anticipates and fears calamities, suffers them 
twice over. — Porteus. 

That we forget the evils of the past, and are igno- 
rant of those of the future, is a merciful provision of 
Providence, to keep us alike from sad and bitter recol- 
lections and overwhelming anxieties and fears. * 



Leave the future ; let it rest 
Simply on the Saviour's will : 

Leave the future; they are blest, 
Who confiding, hoping still, 

Trust his mercy 
To preserve from every ill. 



54 



FEBRUARY 16. 



Head in the way of righteousness. — Peov. viii. 25. 

AM I willing to be led in the way of righteous- 
ness ? Do I go to the Bible to know what is that 
way, and earnestly pray for the aid of the Holy Spirit 
to enable me to walk in it? Am I thankful that I 
have a divine Leader, who is both able and willing to 
lead me at every step? And do I show my thankful- 
ness by rejoicing to be led by him, as a child by a lov- 
ing father? 



Thou wouldst willingly go to heaven. What better 
guide can you have than Him who dwells there? If 
he lead thee at times by rough and thorny paths, it is 
because he knows it is the nearest way. — Hall. 

We cannot always be upon the mount, but we can 
keep in the narrow way, and follow Him who leads 
us in it. * 

The way to heaven is narrow and difficult. Sin is 
to be forsaken, the world overcome, Satan resisted, self 
denied, duties to be diligently performed, Christ to be 
faithfully followed. To walk in it demands effort, but 
it leads to everlasting life. * 



Teach me to live thy purpose to fulfill ; 

Bright for thy glory let my taper shine ; 
Each clay renew this sinful, stubborn will ; 

Closer round thee my heart's affections twine. 
So shall I walk with thee life's daily road ; 
So, at its close, shall rise to thee, my God ! 



FEBR UAR Y 17. 



55 



Let him take hold of my strength, that he may 
make 'peace with me. — Isa. xxvii. 5. 

AM I at peace with God through, faith in Christ 
Jesus ? And if reconciled to him through the 
blood of the cross, do I endeavor so to live as to keep 
a conscience void of offence toward both God and 
man, that my peace may not be broken, through a 
sense of guilt ? Do I so commit everything to God, 
and by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, so 
make all my wants known to him, that his peace, which 
passes all understanding, keeps my mind and heart 
through Christ Jesus ? 

Peace is the proper result of Christian faith and the 
Christian temper. It is the great kindness that our 
religion doth to us, that it brings us to a holy settled- 
ness of mind and heart, the happiness of which we 
call peace. — Bp. Patrick. 

Our peace, if we love God, the prophet says, shall 
flow like a river. We hear it when we rise in the 
morning ; we hear it in the quiet noon : we hear it 
when the sun goes down ; and if we wake in the 
night, the sound is still in our ears. The music of 
God's peace is never unheard in the faithful soul. 

" Peace " was the word the Saviour breathed, 

When from our world his steps withdrew ; 
The gift he to his friends bequeathed, 

With Calvary and the cross in view ! 
Redeemer ! with adoring love, 

Our spirits take thy rich bequest ; 
The watchword of the host above, 

Our passport to their realm of rest ! 



56 



FEBRUARY 18. 



JVbt with eye-service, as men-pleasers ; but as the 
servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the 
heart. — Eph. vi. 6. 

AM I indeed a servant of Christ ? In serving him 
do I remember that he sees me, and is ever 
present ; and do I serve him not merely with the lips, 
and in outward conduct, but from the heart ? Is it 
my great desire that every thought, and feeling, and 
faculty, and power, may be entirely consecrated to 
him ? And knowing the uncertainty of life, am I the 
more earnest to do with my might what my hands 
find to do, because the night cometh, in which no man 
can work ? 

If we profess to be disciples of Christ, and have not 
sincerity and the earnestness that goes with it, we are 
as clouds without water, trees without fruit, or lamps 
without oil. But if we love God with undivided 
hearts, then we feel that we have his approbation, and 
that all his promises are ours. — Beattmoxt. 

Jesns Avishes us to be decided and earnest in his 
service. He would not have us half-hearted, or 
divided between the world and himself. Give him 
the whole heart, the whole person, the whole life. 
He well deserves it. — Eveeaed. 



Go, labor on : 'tis not for naught ; 

Thine earthly loss is heavenly gain : 
Men heed thee, love thee, praise thee not ; 

The Master praises : — AVhat are men? 
To Christ, thy life be wholly given. 
He'll guide on earth, and save in heaven ! 



FEBRUARY 19. 



57 



This God is our God for ever and ever. He will he 
our guide even unto death. — Ps. xlviii. 14. 

HOW precious is this promise to me, if I put my 
trust in God ! In duty, difficulty, danger, sick- 
ness, sorrow, death, has he not promised to be with 
me? And not merely to death, but in death, and 
through death, even for ever and ever, has he not said 
he will be with me, to guide, and comfort and bless ? 
Shall I not, then, in all circumstances rely on him, and 
endeavor so to live as to walk with him ? 



Keep God thy friend in prosperity, and thou mayest 
with confidence resort to him, and rely on him in ad- 
versity. He will never leave or forsake thee. — Sir 
M. Hale. 

I have a precious jewel above all price, and which 
the riches of the earth cannot buy ; for I can rest my 
head and heart on the lap of God's providence and 
on the bosom of Christ with a perfect assurance that 
neither man nor devil, in life or death, can touch me 
there. — Gotthold. 



Support me, Lord, when I may come, 

Leaning on thee in faith sublime, 
Up to the awful landmark set 

Between eternity and time. 
And Lord, if it must be, that I 

Shall walk on earth, by faith, no more, 
Eeach down thy loving, powerful hand, 

And lead me to the heavenly shore. 



53 



FEBRUARY 20. 



Watc\ therefore, for ye know not what hour your 
Lord doth come. — Matt. xxiv. 42. 

AM I living in constant expectation of the second 
coming of the Saviour, and in a state of watch- 
fulness and preparation for it ? Do I sit so loosely to 
the world, that the thought of leaving it when God 
shall call, is not painful to me ? Do I so live as to 
show not only that I desire, but that I am seeking a 
better country, even an heavenly, so that God is not 
ashamed to be called my God ? 

It is the suddenness and uncertainty of the coming 
of Christ, for either judgment or death, that extends 
the charge of watchfulness to all, and calls us to keep 
our souls ever awake; for, if we are unprepared to 
meet the Lord at death, we can never be ready to 
meet him in judgment. — Watts. 

My night is far spent; my day is at hand. The 
wilderness is nearly traversed. Canaan is almost 
within my view. The everlasting hills are already 
appearing. What manner of person, then, ought I 
to be, in all holy conversation and godliness. Mine 
must be no half discipleship — no service of two mas- 
ters — no divided heart. What remains of this brief 
life must be given wholly to the Lord. — H. Bonae. 

Time's sun is fast setting ; its twilight is nigh ; 
Its evening is falling in cloud o'er the sky ; 
Its shadows are stretching in ominous gloom ; 
Its midnight approaches — the midnight of doom ! 
Then haste, sinner, haste, while there's mercy for thee; 
To the cross, as your refuge, in penitence flee ! 
And with joy lift your heads, 0 ye ransomed, on high, 
For your day of redemption is swift drawing nigh ! 



FEBRUARY 21 



59 



All things whatsoever ye would that men should do 
to you, do ye even so to them ; for this is the laiv and 
the prophets. — Matt. vii. 12. 

IS this golden, heavenly rule the foundation of my 
conduct to and dealing with others? Am I not 
only just, but loving and kind to all? Am I willing 
to deny myself to do them good, or even to promote 
their pleasure? In thought, word, and deed, do I 
endeavor to act toward all, as I would wish them to 
do toward myself? Do I as sacredly regard the feel- 
ings, reputation, property, and spiritual welfare of 
others, as I do my own? 



If you would know whether your love to God be 
real, and not counterfeit, mark how you love your 
neighbor. By how much nearer you are to him in 
love, by so much the nearer you are to God. — Caussin. 

If this golden rule of Christ were but carried out 
by men, it would destroy avarice, envy, treachery, un- 
kindness, evil-speaking, theft, adultery, murder, and 
every evil that afflicts society. It would make every 
man a happy man, and the wide world a happy world. 

* 

Oh ! were this sacred maxim ours, 

How oft life's thorns would change to flowers, 

How many a cloud that round us lowers 

Would half its darkness lose ! 
Love o'er our chequered, changeful way, 
Would hold its sweet, yet potent sway, 
Mighty as noontide's powerful ray 

Yet soft as evening dews. — Stokes. 



60 



FEBRUARY 22. 



Be ye thankful. — Col. iii. 15. 
0 I study to cherish, habitually, a thankful spirit 



I y for all God's mercies to me ? Am I thankful for 
negative mercies — that I have been saved from so 
many evils and sufferings that might have come upon 
me ? Thankful for all positive mercies — that so many 
blessings, temporal and spiritual, have been granted 
me from on high ? And if trials are sent, do I permit 
them to overcloud past mercies ? Or rather, do I, from 
the past, take thankful courage for the future, know- 
ing that all things work together for good to those that 
love and trust God ? 

Whichever way we turn, we see cause for gratitude. 
If we look back, goodness and mercy have followed us 
in the past. If forward, grace is promised for the way, 
and glory for the end. If within, the Spirit works 
there. If above, there Christ intercedes. All God's 
dealings are designed for our good ; and if rightly im- 
proved, will prepare us for a world where thankfulness 
shall reign for ever. * 

From David, learn to give thanks in everything. 
Every furrow in the book of Psalms is sown with the 
seeds of thanksgiving. — Jeremy Tayloe. 

Give thanks to God in everything ; 

For the cross he bids thee bear, 
For the flowers beside thy path that spring, 

For the thorns that wound thee there ; 
For the sunshine beaming on the way, 

That makes thy journey sweet, 
For the gloom that gathers while yet 'tis day, 

For it urges on thy feet. 




FEBR UAR Y 23. 



61 



Uphold me with thy free spirit. — Ps. li. 12. 

0 I feel that if left to myself — to dependence on 



I J my own powers or purposes, I shall constantly 
fall into sin ? And do I pray that the Holy Spirit 
may guide and sustain me, and deliver me from its 
power ? Do I aim habitually at a holy and spiritual 
life, endeavoring to walk in the Spirit, and so to adorn 
the doctrine of Christ ? Do I pray for a serious, firm 
and faithful spirit, that I may always be kept in the 
way of duty ? 

He that is delivered, through Christ, from the con- 
demnation and bondage of sin, is sealed by the Holy 
Spirit, and so walks before God in righteousness and 
true holiness. — Sumner. 

Christ says if we continue in his word, then we are 
his disciples indeed, and we shall know the truth, and 
the truth shall make us free. And if we do this we 
shall serve God faithfully, and never grow weary of 
running in the way of his commandments ; but shall 
manifest to all, that no motive is so powerful as the 
love which comes from being freely forgiven and ac- 
cepted in the Beloved. — Eveeaed. 



In service which thy will appoints, 

There are no bonds for me ; 
For my inmost heart is taught the truth 

That makes thy children free ; 
And a life of self-renouncing love, 

Is a life of liberty ; 
A life of good to all mankind, 

And a life that honors thee ! 




62 



FEBRUARY 24. 



Be careful for nothing. — Phil. iv. 6. 
N the various changes, uncertainties, difficulties, 



JL and trials of life, do I endeavor to keep my mind 
free from anxious and distracting thoughts and fears? 
Do I draw the distinction between the proper care of 
effort and diligence, which is a duty, and the care of 
weak and sinful distrust, which only unfits the mind 
for serious thought ? Do I bear in mind that it is 
alike the duty and privilege of the Christian to live 
"without anxiety and corroding care, and that if I seek 
first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all 
things needful and best will be added thereto ? 



Dust, by its own nature, can rise only so far above 
the road ; and birds which fly higher, never have it 
on their wings. So the heart that flies high toward 
heaven escapes the little cares and vexations that 
brood upon the earth, but which cannot rise above it 
into the pure air of the upper world. — Beecher. 

We may easily manage, if we will only take, each 
day, the burden appointed for it. But the load will 
increase, and be too heavy for us, if we carry yester- 
day's burden over again to-day, and then add to-mor- 
row's burden to the weight before we are required to 
bear it. — John Newton. 



0, ask not thou, " How shall I bear 
The burden of to-morrow ?" 

Sufficient for the day its care, 
Its evil and its sorrow. 

Thy God imparteth by the way, 

Strength that's sufficient for the day. 




FEBRUARY 25. 



O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall 
show forth thy praise. — Ps. li. 15. 

~T~^0 I pray ; not only for God's grace and his gifts, 



■ - J but that I may improve them all to his glory ? 
Do I seek, not only for abundant matter for thanks- 
giving, but for a heart that is filled with thankfulness? 
Are the words which my lips utter the sincere expres- 
sion of gratitude for blessings already bestowed ? And 
when praying for future besfcowments, do I offer the 
sacrifice of grateful praise for past mercies ? 



Blessings that are won by prayer should ever be 
worn with thankfulness. Prayer and thanksgiving 
are like the double motion of the lungs, the air that 
is sucked in in prayer, is breathed forth again by 
thanks. — Goodwin. 

To them that are tongue-tied by reason of guilt, 
the assurance of the forgiveness of their sins says 
effectually, as Christ said to the deaf and dumb man 
at Decapolis, 11 Ephphatha" 11 Be opened;" and when 
the lips are opened what should they speak but the 
praises of God? — Matthew Heney. 



For all the gifts Thou dost impart, 
Help me to praise with grateful heart ; 
My life be praise from day to day, 
Till earthly scenes have passed away ; 
Until in heaven's refulgent light, 
Thy glory satisfies my sight ! 
Then in thy throne's unclouded blaze, 
My prayers shall all be changed to praise ! 




34 



FEBRUARY 26. 



Serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with 
all thy soul. — Dei;t. x. 12. 

~T^\ 0 I delight in meditating on God, and in holding 



1 J communion with him ? Do I fear him as great, 
and love him as good, and devote myself entirely to 
him as my Benefactor and Father ? Do I ask what is 
his will, and endeavor to do what is most pleasing to 
him ? Do I serve him with all my heart, seeking the 
advancement of his kingdom among men, and en- 
deavoring so to live as to point others to him? 

Eeligion is believing God's truth, and endeavoring 
to do God's will. It consists not so much in joyous 
feelings, as in a life conformed to his teachings, and 
spent in obedience to his directions. If we have faith 
in Christ, we shall love him. If we love him. we shall 
keep his commandments. If we keep his command- 
ments, we shall daily grow in his spirit. * 

The religion of some people is constrained; like the 
cold bath when it is used not for pleasure, but from 
necessity, for health, into which one goes with reluc- 
tance, and is glad when able to get out. But religion 
to the true believer, is like water to a fish. It is his 
element. He lives in it, and could not live out of it. 
— John Xewiox. 

When one that holds communion with the skies, 

Has filled his urn where life's pure waters rise, 

And once more mingles with earth's meaner things, 

It is as if an angel shook his wings ; 

Immortal fragrance fills the circuit wide, 

And tells us whence his treasures are supplied. 




— Cowpee. 



FEBRUARY 27. 



65 



Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the 
days of my life. — Ps. xxiii. 6. 

AM I at any time anxious and troubled about the 
future? Why should I even wish to take it 
out of God's hands ? Has he not promised to provide 
for all who trust in him? In his power, his wisdom, 
his goodness, his love, have I not the sure pledge that 
he will order the future, as he has the past, for my 
highest good? If I seek first his kingdom and the 
righteousness thereof, has he not promised that all 
things needful shall be added thereto? 



Life is a warfare, and he who easily desponds, de- 
serts a double duty. He betrays the noblest property 
of man, which is dauntless resolution, and he rejects 
or distrusts the providence of that all-gracious Being 
who guides and rules the universe, and who will 
surely provide for us all that he sees we need.— 
Jane Porter. 

If I am faithful to the duties of the present, God 
will provide for the future. — Bedell. 



Doth each day upon its wing 
Its allotted burden bring ? 
Load it not beside with sorrow, 
Which you fear may come to-morrow. 
Strength is promised, strength is given, 
When the heart by God is riven ; 
One thing only, claims thy care, 
Seek it, first, by faith and prayer, 
And whate'er you need beside 
He thou trustest will provide. 

5 



66 



FEBRUARY 28. 



God maketh my heart soft. — Job xxiii. 16. 

IS it my daily prayer, that ray heart may not only 
be made soft, but kept so, through the influence 
of the Holy Spirit ? Is my conscience enlightened, 
tender, sensitive to the very approach of sin ? Do I 
watch against the hardening influences of the world, 
with its many allurements and temptations ? When 
I read or hear the word of God, do I open my heart 
to its influence ? And by constant communion with 
Christ, do I live, continually, under the power of his 
love? 



If I would be of one spirit with Christ, I must do 
all things to please him. This should be my express 
purpose at all times, lest my own will come to be the 
rule of my action. — Bishop Wilsox. 

Gospel holiness "includes a heart broken for sin ; a 
heart broken off from sin ; and a heart in perpetual 
conflict with sin. — Medley. 

Pray for a soft heart and a retentive memory. Of- 
ten speak of the sermons and truths that you hear, 
and get them harrowed into your hearts, that Satan 
may be cheated, and your souls be saved. — McCheyne. 



This heart of stone to flesh convert, 
The veil of sin once more remove ; 
Drop thy warm blood upon my heart, 
And melt it with thy dying love. 
This rebel heart by love subdue, 
And make, and keep it, soft and new. 

— Wesley. 



FEBRUARY 29. 



07 



Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord 
thy God led thee. — Deut. viii. 2. 

~TT"T"HEN anxieties disturb, or troubles depress, do 



V V I remember God's goodness in the past, and 
how thus far he has brought me through every diffi- 
culty and trial ? And does the remembrance fill me 
with thankfulness for that past, and courage for the 
future? When a new mercy meets me, do I see a 
Father's love in it? And do I follow cheerfully where 
his providence leads, being devoutly grateful that he 
is guiding me, at every step, to my home in heaven ? 



Could we look upon our entire life, and take in all 
its changes as by a single glance, every step would be 
seen to have been guided by God's mercy. Through 
our whole career, we should see the angels of divine 
goodness, guarding from temptation, shielding from 
danger, supplying our wants, and leading us safely 
day by day. Not a step but would show us the un- 
bounded goodness of God, and call for constant thank- 
fulness to him. * 



Take up thy burden, ever forward pressing ; 

Fight thy way onward, fearless day by day ; 
The steady hand, the tireless heart possessing, 

The stars of faith and hope to light the way. 
Ptemember all the way thy God hath led thee, 

And while thanksgivings swell thy grateful breast, 
Still follow where his fire and cloud shall guide thee, 

Through life's lone desert to the heavenly rest. 




68 



MARCH 1. 



A little while. — Heb. x. 37. 
iHOUGH the present conflict may be trying, or 



myself with the assurance, that, at most, it is but for 
a little while ? Do I bear with patience the dealings 
of God's providence, knowing that if I would have an 
everlasting rest, I must walk in the way to it, and not 
expect its full blessedness here on earth ? Do I long 
to be fully prepared for that rest, as well as at last to 
go to it ? Do I endeavor to lead others to prize and 

seek it ? 

The Jordan is not far off. A few breathings of the 
air of the wilderness, a few struggles with the diffi- 
culties of the way, a few steps across the dreary sands, 
and then we are at home ! — Box ae. 

Heaven is a day without a cloud to shade it, or a 
night to darken it. It is an everlasting hour with 
Jesus. And we are just as near to it as we are far 
from self and sin and the world. And it is a solemn 
and delightful thought, that perhaps nothing but the 
opaqueness of the bodily eye prevents us from behold- 
ing its open gate, and nothing but the dullness of the 
ear, from hearing its bells of joy, which will soon wel- 
come us to its blessedness. 

Only a little longer have we to trust and wait, 
Ere we reach the blessed portals, and pass the pearly 
gate, 

And hear the shout of welcome from the loved ones 
gone before, 

In the mansions of our Father's house, our home for 
evermore ! 




forward, and strengthen 



MARCH 2. 



69 



Cleave unto the Lord, — Acts xi. 23. 
0 I endeavor, habitually, with full purpose of 



1 J heart, to cleave unto the Lord? Do I cordially 
receive all that he teaches in the way of truth? Do 
I follow him fully in the way of duty ? Am I strong 
in the Lord, and in the power of his might? Do I 
take him for my wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, 
and redemption? With clear intelligence, with earn- 
est purpose, with deliberate consecration, in devoted 
love, have I given myself to him, entirely, and for 
ever? 



Think less of self and more of Christ. Cleave to his 
truth, to his service, to his promises in all their glorious 
length and breadth. Let it delight the heart of the Sa- 
viour to find that you confide in all that he has spoken, 
and endeavor to do all that he has commanded. * 

We must be willing to be, to do, and to suffer, all 
that God requires. This covers time, property, repu- 
tation, friends, body, mind, and soul. These are to be 
held, and used, when, where, and as God sees best. 
Our consecration of all should be made deliberately, 
without reserve, in reliance on divine help, and for 
both time and eternity. * 



Is there a thing beneath the sun, 

That strives with Thee my heart to share ? 
Oh tear it thence, and reign alone, 

The Lord of every* motive there. 
To know thy power, to hear thy voice, 
To taste thy love, be all my choice. 




70 



MARCH 3. 



Ye have not passed this way heretofore. — Josh. iii. 4. 
TH\ O I think often on the uncertainties of the future 



. I J — that I know not what a day may bring forth, 
and that I must pass through paths entirely unknown 
to me, on my way to the rest of heaven ? Hav e I that 
confidence in God's wisdom and goodness, that entire 
trust in his guidance, that assurance of his favor and 
support, which will smooth the roughest path, and give 
light to the darkest way ? Do I take comfort from the 
fact, that though the path is untrodden by me, yet the 
Saviour trod it while on earth, and that he will guide 
me safely in it ? 



We are like little children strayed from home, and 
God is now fetching us back. But we are ready to 
turn into any house, and stay and play with every- 
thing in our way, and sit down on ever}^ green bank, 
and there is much ado to get us home. — Baxter. 

What a happy thought it is, that though we know 
not where the way winds, we know where it ends. 
We cannot track the road, but we know that it leads 
to heaven. God help us all to pursue the true pil- 
grimage of a faithful Christian life. — Sptjrgeon. 



With a childlike trust I give my hand, 
To the mighty Friend at my side ; 

And the only thing that to him I say, 
As he takes it, is, "Hold me fast, 

And suffer me not to lose my way, 
But bring me home at last," 




MARCH 4. 



71 



Wash and be clean. — 2 Kings v. 13. 

AM I willing to be anything, to do anything, to 
submit to anything, to part with anything, so 
that my sins may be forgiven, and I may be accepted 
of God, and be filled with his Spirit ? Am I willing 
to take Christ on his own terms ; to be forgiven only 
through his merits, and cleansed through his truth, 
by the influence of his Holy Spirit ? Do I come to 
him, "just as I am, without one plea, but that his 
blood was shed for me," and that he bids me come to 
him ? And thus do I find rest and peace ? 



As Naaman required no previous cleansing, but had 
only to obey the simple injunction, " Wash and be 
clean," so we have only to come to Christ, just as we 
are, in all our sinfulness, and through his atoning 
blood we may be cleansed from all our sins, and made 
heirs of everlasting life. * 

If it be true for me, that " the blood of Jesus Christ 
cleanseth from all sin," then, by the grace of God, I 
will henceforth live as a man should live who has 
been washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. — - 
Hedley Vicaes. 



Nothing in my hand I bring ; 
Simply to thy cross I cling ; 
Naked, come to thee for dress ; 
Helpless, look to thee for grace ; 
Yile, I to the fountain fly ; 
Wash me, Saviour, or I die. 

— Toplady. 



72 



MARCH 5. 



Stand in awe, and sin not; commune with your 
own heart. — Ps. iv. 4. 

DO I love the hour of quiet, serious meditatiou, 
when I can commune with my own heart and 
with divine truth ? Do I not only watch against evil 
thoughts, but endeavor to cherish those which are 
good? Do I bring all my thoughts, feelings, inclina- 
tions and actions, to the test of God's word? More 
and more do I desire the Spirit of Christ, and ask for 
grace that I may be like him, and that my life may 
show forth his praise ? 



The external acts of religion, reading God's word, 
bowing the knee in prayer, going to the sanctuary, 
are easy. But to examine one's motives and feelings, 
to turn in upon one's own soul, and know how it stands 
before God, this is not an easy work. If we will not 
try ourselves, God will try us. 

True self-examination lies in ascertaining how nearly 
Christ is reproduced in ourselves. His life glows in 
the gospels, and our hearts are the canvas on which 
we are to copy it. Let us look long and earnestly 
upon it, and diligently copy, till our lives reflect the 
whole divine image. 



Lord, I am come alone with thee ! 
Thy voice to hear, thy face to see, 

To feel thy presence near. 
It is not fancy's ravished dream, 
Though wondrous even to faith it seem, 

That thou dost wait me here ! 

— C. Wilkins. 



MARCH 6. 



73 



A word spoken in due season, how good is it: — - 
Peov. xv. 23. 

DO I realize the importance of right words at the 
right times? And is it my study and prayer 
that I may be enabled at all times to speak for good 
and not for evil ? Do I watch for opportunities for 
speaking words of kindness, of sympathy, of en- 
couragement, of instruction, of warning against evil, 
of counsel to all that is good? Do I ask for grace 
wisely to govern my tongue, and profitably to use it, 
to the glory of God and the good of men, remember- 
ing that " if any man offend not in word, the same is 
a perfect man ,; ? 



Is there anything better than the tongue ? Is it 
not the bond of society, the organ of truth, the ex- 
pression of reason, the instrument of kindness to man, 
and of praise and adoration to God? Is there any- 
thing worse than the tongue ? Is it not the instru- 
ment of strife, the means of contention, the source of 
division and wars, the organ of error, of lies, of 
calumny, of blasphemies? — iEsop. 



Words are things of little cost, 
Quickly spoken, quickly lost ; 
"We forget them, but they stand, 
Witnesses at God's right hand. 
Grant us, Lord, from day to day, 
Strength to watch, and grace to pray : 
May our lips from sin set free, 
Ever speak for truth and thee ! 



74 



MARCH 7. 



'Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, 
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal 
weight of glory. — 2 Coe. iv. 17. 

WHEN God sees fit to afflict me, do I look for- 
ward to that eternal weight of glory, the 
thought of which makes present suffering seem light ? 
Does the thought of it help me to be patient under 
my Father's dealings, knowing that he will remove 
the trial when he sees it has accomplished its intended 
end ? And do I so receive his kind discipline as by it 
to be better prepared for the inheritance of the saints 
in light? 

Afflictions to God's children are like the rough blasts 
to the ship which bear it the more speedily to the haven 
of rest. — J. Mason. 

Let patience have her perfect work, and bring forth 
her celestial fruits. When God's people are able and 
willing to labor and wait, they will find that one day 
is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand 
years as one day, and the grand harvest shall come to 
its reaping, and the day shall broaden to a thousand 
years, and the thousand years be but a perfect, and 
finished, and endless day. — Macdonald. 



Beloved children ! let the Master train you : 
Surely to you he meaneth nothing ill. 

His love to you can never know decreasing, 
He knoweth what he does — 'tis wisdom still. 

Patience in heavy days of dark distress, 

Works out for you the heavenly blessedness. 

— Von Salis. 



MARCH 8. 



75 



Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which 
doth so easily beset us. — Heb. xii. 1. 

IS there any special sin which holds me back when 
I would press onward and upward in the divine 
life ? Is it an inordinate love of the world — of its 
riches, honors, enjoyments, or frivolities ? Is it a sin 
of desire, or temper, or want of sincerity and truth- 
fulness ? Is it some covered sin of the heart or life, 
which the eye of the world sees not, but of which 
conscience testifies I am guilty? And whatever it 
may be, do I watch and pray against it, and am I 
striving to overcome it, that it may not separate be- 
tween me and the Saviour? 



One sin unmortified, may destroy the soul. One 
darling appetite or passion maintained in spite of 
conscience, will keep us back from the Saviour, and 
hide the light of his countenance from the soul. — ■ 
Watson. 

It is of no use to shut all the gates of a city but one 
against the enemy, if that one is left wide open. And 
so to break off from many or even most sins, while one 
besetting sin is allowed and cherished, may ruin us for 
ever. * 



Think that He, the All-discerning, 
Knows thy path at every turning, 
Knows each secret hidden stain ; 
Even what shame would fain gloss over, 
He doth easily discover ; 

All thou dost, to him is plain. 

— Lyra Germanica. 



76 



MARCH 9. 



Let your moderation be known unto all men 
Phil. iv. 5. 

I X 0 I endeavor to be moderate, not only as to l *y 



I J passions and appetites, but in all my desires, 
and in my opinions and judgments of others? If 
even a heathen could say, that " whatever exceeds 
the bounds of moderation has an unstable founda- 
tion/' much more do I learn this lesson from the 
word of God? Am I slow to form unfavorable judg- 
ments; moderate in the use even of lawful enjoy- 
ments; steady in the subjection of temper; decided 
in the control of prejudice and feeling ? In all things 
do I cherish that Christian moderation which is true 
wisdom as well as true happiness? 



Moderation is the centre wherein all philosophies, 
both divine and human meet. It is the rule of life, 
the governess of manners, the silken string that runs 
through the pearl chain of all the virtues, the line 
under which reason and religion move without any 
deviation, and therefore most worthy of our best 
thoughts and of our most careful observance. — Bishop 
Hall. 



Never hasting, never resting, 

With a firm and joyous heart, 
Ever onward slowly tending, 

Acting aye the Christian's part, 
Undepressed by seeming failure, 

Undated by success ; 
Heights attained, still seeking higher, 

Onward, upward, ever press ! 




MARCH 10. 



77 



The Lord hath done great things for us. — Ps. 
cxxvi. 3. 

DO I realize, in all their length, and breadth, and 
depth, and height, what great things the Lord 
has done, and is continually doing for me? Am I 
thankful for his daily and providential care — for life, 
and health, and food, and raiment; and friends, and 
for all that makes this life pleasant and dear to me ? 
Above all, am I thankful for his word, and his Son, 
and his Spirit, and all the means of grace — for the 
pardon of my sins, and the renewal of my heart, and 
promise of life everlasting in heaven ? 



Shall I grudge to spend my life for Him, who did 
not grudge to shed his life-blood for me? — Bishop 
Beveridge. 

My heaven is to please God and glorify him; to give 
all to him ; to be wholly devoted to his glory. That is 
the heaven I long for ; that is my religion, and that is 
my happiness. — D. Brainerd. 



Pardon from an offended God, 
Pardon for sins of deepest dye, 

Pardon bestowed through Jesus' blood, 
Pardon that brings the rebel nigh ! 

Who is a pardoning God like thee ? 

Or who has grace so rich and free ? 



78 



MARCH 11. 



Lord, save us : we perish. — Matt. viii. 25. 

0 I feel my need of the Saviour, and that I shall 



I J perish unless he helps and saves me? To him, 
and only to him, do I look for salvation ? And do I 
fully believe that he is able, and willing, and waiting 
to save all who will come to him ? Do I look to him 
for the pardon of my sins ; for the renovation of my 
nature ; for strength to go on in the way of duty ; for 
the fulfillment of the promise, that he will keep me, 
through faith, unto everlasting salvation in heaven ? 



Sinking times are praying times. It was only when 
the disciples looked at the waves, and heard the winds, 
that they feared to sink, and cried to Jesus to save 
them. There is not a want, that we may not turn into 
a prayer. * 

It is the business of faith to resolve doubts — the 
doubts and fears of sense in stormy days, so as even 
then to keep the head above water. Could we believe 
more, we should doubt less. — M. Henby. 



Jesus, the Lord, will hear 

His chosen when they cry ; 
Yes, though he may a while forbear, 

HeTl help them from on high. 
Then let us earnest cry, 

And never faint in prayer ; 
He sees, he hears, and from on high, 

Will make our cause his care. 




— Newton. 



MARCH 12. 



79 



There is therefore now no condemnation to them 
which are in Christ Jesus. — Rom., viii. 1. 

DOES sin disturb and trouble me, either by its 
condemnation, or its reigning power? And 
from it, have I sought and found refuge in Christ ? 
Do I find comfort in the blessed truth, that if I trust 
in him, it cannot ruin, or even condemn me ? Do I 
bear in mind that he is my righteousness, so that I am 
justified through him? And that he is my sanctifica- 
tion, so that through him I am made holy, being one 
with him by faith ? 



Christ's righteousness, imputed to us through faith, 
justifies us ; and this is the believer's title to heaven. 
From sanctification, arises our meetness for it. — 
Mad an, 

Justification is the act of God as a Judge ; adoption, 
his act as a Father. By the former, we are discharged 
from condemnation, and accepted as righteous : by the 
latter, we are made the children and heirs of God, and 
joint-heirs with Christ for ever. — Guyse. 



Thou, O.Christ, art all I want; 

More than all in thee I find. 
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, 

Heal the sick, and lead the blind. 
Thou of life the fountain art, 

Freely let me take of thee ; 
Spring thou up within my heart ; 

Rise to all eternity ! — C. Wesley. 



50 



MARCH 13. 



Tliere is no searching of his understanding. — Is A. 



MID all the mysteries of nature and grace, am I 



satisfied to trust both the wisdom and goodness 
of God, believing that all will be guided and controlled 
to the best possible ends ? Have I not often found 
that after-events have proved both the wisdom and 
love of my heavenly Father ; and that if my wishes 
and prayers had been granted, the end would not have 
justified my hopes? Is it not better to trust the 
divine leadings, and follow the divine guidance, than 
to seek a way for myself? 



There is a school of philosophy, both wise and 
beautiful, though it has but too few disciples, which 
teaches man to say of many things, it may be so, or 
it may be otherwise. All that I know about it is, 
that I do not know. I trust to the future to under- 
stand it. 

I would fain know all that I need, and all that I 
may. But I leave God's secrets to himself. It is 
happy for me that God makes me of his court and 
not of his council. — Bishop Hall. 



A thread of gold hangs midway in the air ; 
' Oh, let me grasp that thread !" ye cry aloud. 
It holds a naked sword behind the cloud : 
Ye see not that, ye poor, impassioned hearts, 
But struggle for it with your eager hands. 
Shall God, the All-wise, answer your demands ? 
'T would pierce your souls, and fill you with despair. 



3d. 28. 




MARCH 14. 



81 



The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your 
feet shortly. — Kom. xvi. 20. 



courage me in the conflict of life? Do I re- 
member that it is given, not to supersede my watch- 
fulness and care and effort, but to aid me to fight 
manfully the good fight of faith ? Have I not more 
than once found, that when Satan seemed to have 
prevailed, and strength to resist was failing, God has 
in mercy, come to the rescue, and aided me to over- 
come his power, so that he was indeed put under my 



A Christian, who lives here among his enemies, 
should never stir abroad without his guard. If you 
follow Satan, you will find your tempter a tormentor. 
If -you follow the Spirit, you will find the Counselor 
a comforter. — J. Mason. 

To become like Christ, like him we must be subject 
to temptation. But as he resisted the tempter, so we 
must resist, to complete victory, all the temptations 
that assail us ; and if we do it in humble reliance on 
the divine strength, we shall be safe. * 



I need thy presence every passing hour. 

What but thy grace can foil the tempter's power ? 

I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless, 

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness : 

Who like thyself my guide and stay can be ? 

Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me. 




promise quicken and en 



feet? 



— H. F. Lyte. 



6 



82 



MARCH 15. 



Before I was afflicted, I went astray. — Ps. cxix. 67. 
TT'T'HEX prosperity smiled upon me. and trouble 



\ V was not felt, have not the things of God and 
eternity appeared dim and distant, and comparatively 
of but little moment ? And if God has sent afflictions, 
has it not been to humble me. and show me the un- 
satisfying nature of this world, and to point my 
thoughts to a higher and a better '? Has this been 
their effect ? Have they softened my heart, and 
opened it to the voice of God? Have troubles 
brought me, like the prodigal, first to myself, and 
then to my Father? 



Sanctified afflictions come, not as lightning to the 
scathed tree, blasting it more and more, but as the 
strokes of the sculptor to the marble block, forming it 
to the image of beauty and loveliness. Let God's 
presence be felt, and no lot is hard. Let his hand be 
seen, and no event is unblessed. * 

God knoweth well how to use things ; and will 
make us to be obliged to affliction, and to thank him 
who has made us acquainted with such a rough mes- 
senger, sent to lead us to Christ. — Rtjthebfobd. 



I ask not, " Take away this load of care 
But for the patient love that all can bear, 

And for the faith that whatsoe'er befall 
Mnst needs be good, and for my profit prove, 
Since from my Father's heart, most rich in love, 

And from his bounteous hands, it cometh all. 




MARCH 16, 



83 



Hold fast the confidence omd the rejoicing of the 
hope, firm unto the end. — Heb. iii. 6. 

HAVE I a strong confidence in the Saviour's 
power and willingness to save my soul : to 
pardon my sins ; to renew my heart ; to sanctify me 
wholly to himself? Have I come to him in penitence 
and faith, with deep humility, with grateful love, and 
with the earnest desire to live for him ? Does my faith 
in him lead me to joy, and peace ? And in every duty, 
or conflict, or joy, or sorrow, do I cling to him as my 
faithful and loving Redeemer and unchanging Friend? 



The strong rope of our fastened anchor, is the oath 
and promise of him who is eternal truth. Our salva- 
tion is fastened with God's own hand and Christ's own 
strength, to the strong stake of God's unchangeable 
nature. — Etjtheefoed. 

In life, in death, in time, in eternity, 0 my Saviour, 
I, thy redeemed servant, thine adopted child, thy cove- 
nant disciple, would trust in thee. — 0. A. Taylor. 

Faith makes invisible things, visible ; absent things, 
present ; things that are very far off, to be very near to 
the soul. — T. Brooks. 



I am thine own, 0 Christ ; henceforth entirely thine ; 

And life from this glad hour — new life, is mine ; 

No earthly joy can lure my soul from thee ; 

This deep delight so pure, is heaven to me. 

I cannot tell the art by which such bliss is given : 

I know thou hast my heart, and I have heaven ! 



84 



MARCH 1? 



Repent ye, therefore, and be converted. — Acts iii. 19. 

IX the light of God's truth, and through the influ- 
ence of the Holy Spirit, have I seen and felt my 
sinfulness as a transgressor of the divine law ? Has 
sin become hateful to me, not merely on account of 
its consequences, but because by every sin I crucify 
the Son of God afresh? Does the sincerity of my 
repentance appear in my avoiding sins that I once 
committed ? Does sin in others give me pain ? And 
do I seek to lead them to forsake it, and to come to 
Christ as their Saviour? 



The true penitent is a convinced, believing soul. 
An unconvinced sinner cannot be truly penitent : for 
what the eye sees not, the heart mourns not, and the 
life forsakes not. — Baillie. 

Eeal repentance consists in a heart broken for sin, 
and so broken from sin. It begins in humiliation of 
the heart, and ends in reformation of the life. It looks 
upon the past, with sorrow for the wrong committed; 
and on the future, with watchfulness, lest it err again. 
It is " the heart's sorrow, and a clear life ensuing/' It 
begins in an act, and it continues as a habit of the 
Christian life. * 

Life's waning hours, like the Sibyl's page, 

As they lessen, in value rise : 
Then rouse thee and live, nor deem that your age 
Stands in the length of your pilgrimage, 

But in days that are truly wise ; 
In days so spent, that each one, in its flight, 
Shall bear you on to the world of light ! 



MARCH 18. 



85 



Ye know not what ye ash. — Matt. xx. 22. 
0 I realize that they know not what they ask 



Jl * who seek only personal ends, or who ask for the 

end while they overlook the means ; and so sever what 
God has joined together? Do I see that I know not 
what I ask, if I ask for heavenly glory, and yet ask 
not for faithfulness in duty, and for grace to bear the 
cross on the way to the crown ? Is it my sincere and 
earnest prayer, that I may be enabled to see that when 
prayer is not answered as I desire, it is because God 
knows what is best ? 



Earthen vessels are not to teach wisdom to their 
former. If the clay contends with the potter, it may 
mar the work of him who hath his fire in Zion, and 
his furnace in Jerusalem. There is no mist over the 
eyes of him who is wonderful in counsel. — Boston. 

Sometimes God answers prayers at once, giving us 
what we seek. Sometimes he gives some better thing 
than we ask. Sometimes he answers by giving the 
very contrary of what we wished, and out of that 
springs the particular end for which we prayed. " I 
have prayed for thee/' said Christ to Peter, "that thy 
faith fail not and yet Peter fell. But through his 
fall, in which his faith seemed to fail, he was brought 
nearer to Christ, and made faithful to the end. 



We, ignorant of ourselves, 

Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers 
Deny us for our good. So find we profit 
By losing of our prayers. — Shakespeake. 




86 



MARCH 19. 



It is high time to awake out of sleep. — Rom. xiii. 11. 

AM I awake to all the great realities of time 
and eternity? Have I awakened to the fact 
that I have a soul to save, a God to serve, a world 
to bless, a hell to escape, a heaven to win ? Have I 
waked from the sleep of sinful security to a life of 
earnest activity for the good of myself and others? 
Do I feel that now is the time for work, and that 
there is no certainty in the future ? Do I realize that 
the work to be done is great ; that the time for it, is 
short ; that temptations and dangers surround me ; 
and therefore am I awake ? 



As the sentinel on duty watches against the coming 
foe, and the sailor on deck against the coming danger, 
so the Christian should watch against the approach of 
enemies or dangers, and endeavor, by the grace given 
from above, to overcome or avoid them. He should 
watch for opportunities of asefulness ; for laying up 
treasure in heaven ; for promoting the good and hap- 
piness of others ; for growing in grace himself, and 
leading others to the saving knowledge of Christ. — 
J. Bate. 



Serve God before the world. Let him not go, 
Until thou hast a blessing. Then resign 

The whole unto him ; and remember who 
Prevailed by wrestling ere the sun did shine. 

Pour oil upon thy stones ; weep for thy sin ; 

See thy heart cleansed from all unhallowed leaven ; 

Then journey on, and have an eye to heaven ! 



MARCH 20. 



87 



Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have 
mercy. — Prov. xxviii. 13. 

HAVE I not only confessed my sins, but have I 
forsaken the sins I have confessed? Feeling 
my need of pardon and acceptance, have I come to 
God, through Jesus Christ, the only Kedeemer, praying 
for mercy, pleading his promises, and asking from him 
strength and grace, that I may live a new life in 
Christ Jesus ? Is my penitence for sin evidenced by 
my turning from sin ; my newness of life, by my holi- 
ness of life ? 



If thy heart hath been broken for and from sin, thou 
may est not only plead God's mercy, but also his justice 
for the pardoning of thy sin. Show him his hand and 
seal ; he will never deny himself. — T. Watson. 

I confess I have no hope, but that which inspired 
the dying malefactor at the side of my Lord ; and I 
must be saved in the same way, as freely — as fully, 
or not at all. Let me be found accepted in the Be- 
loved, and I shall stand complete in him. — Countess 
of Huntingdon. 



When at thy footstool, Lord, I bend, 

And plead with thee for mercy there, 
Then think thou of the sinner's Friend, 

And for his sake receive my prayer ! 
Oh think not of my shame and guilt, 

My thousand stains of deepest dye ; 
Think of the blood which Jesus spilt, 

And let that blood my pardon buy. 



88 



MARCH 21. 



Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of 
my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, 0 Lord, my 
strength and my redeemer. — Ps. xix. 14. 

IS it m} T desire and earnest prayer, not only that my 
thoughts and deeds, but that my words, also, may 
be acceptable in God's sight — that my speech may be 
always with wisdom and grace ? Do I bear in mind 
that by our words we are to be justified, or con- 
demned ; and that if any offend not in word, the 
same is declared to be a perfect man ? Am I ever 
ready to speak for truth ; for Christ ; for the welfare 
of my fellow-men ? 



Let others see Christ in you, moving, doing, think- 
ing, speaking. Your words and actions will both 
speak of him, if, indeed, he is in you. — Euthee- 
eoed. 

Our conversation need not always be of grace ; but 
it should always be with grace. — Matthew Heney. 

The constant governance of our speech, according 
to duty and reason, is a high instance and a special 
argument of a thoroughly sincere and solid goodness. 
— Baeeow. 



Jesus, crucified for me, 
May I closely follow thee ! 
Ever walking in thy ways, 
Leaning on thee all my days, 
Like thee ever may I be, 
Jesus, crucified for me ! 



MARCH 22. 



89 



The Lord vrill not cast off his people. — Ps. xciv. 14. 
Y~TTT"HEN temptations surround me, and faith. 



V V almost fails, do I remember the blessed prom- 
ise, that God will not forsake his people ? Do I bear 
in mind that though he hates sin, he loves the sinner, 
and will ever bear up the penitent and struggling dis- 
ciple in the arms of his love ? And do I cast myself 
entirely on his sympathy and promise and love, and 
so find grace and strength according to my need ? 



A soul may fall from the comforts of grace, but not 
from the habits of grace. A child of God may be cast 
down, but he can never be cast off. — Chabnock. 

A child of God may fall very low, but he can never 
fall below the promises. — Flavel. 

Be not discouraged, believer, by all the discomforts, 
and trials and even failures of the way. Keep but 
the end in view, and hold fast to the promise, and the 
victory in the end is sure. * 



Think of the gain only, count not the losses ; 
Think of the crown only, count not the crosses ; 
Think of the angels surrounding the throne ; 
Think of the triumph, so soon to be won ; 
Think how His love all thy way shall attend, 
Safely to bring thee to heaven in the end ! 
Weary not ; murmur not ; faint not, or fail ; 
Jesus hath promised ; his word shall prevail ! 




90 



MARCH 28. 



Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul dil- 
igently. — Deut. iv. 9. 



J J of temptation, remembering that it is only 
when I am in the way of duty I can expect God's 
preserving power to keep me from evil ? Am I dil- 
igent in the use of the means for keeping my soul in 
the narrow way ? And do I prayerfully endeavor so 
to live as to keep myself unspotted from the world, 
and give no occasion to others to speak reproachfully 
of the cause of Christ ? 

Those who would be faithful in religion, must be 
very cautious, and walk circumspectly. Considering 
how many the temptations without, and what cor- 
rupt inclinations we have within, we have great need 
to look about us, and to keep our hearts with all dil- 
gence, knowing that out of them are the issues of life. 

One of the strongest arguments for the truth of 
Christianity, is the true Christian ; the man filled with 
the Spirit of Christ. The best proof of Christ's resurrec- 
tion, is the living disciple and the living Church, walk- 
ing in a new life, and drawing that life from Him who 
hath overcome death. — Chbistlieb. 

Against the heart's presumptuous sins, 

I fly to faith and prayer ; 
But where the tempter's art begins, 

Oh, keep and save me there ! 
Teach me to shun the first dark thought, 

The wandering of the will : 
Oh, keep the soul thy blood hath bought, 

That I may serve thee still ! 




endeavor to keep out of the way 



MARCH 21 



91 



Lead me, 0 Lord, in thy righteousness ; make thy 
way straight before my face. — Ps. v. 8. 

DO I feel my utter insufficiency to choose my own 
way, and to guide my own steps ? And is it my 
earnest prayer that God would guide me, and make 
plain to me the way of duty, and give me grace and 
strength ever to be found in it ? Do I find comfort in 
the thought of his protecting power and his gracious 
willingness to keep me? And is it my chief desire to 
know what he would have me to be ; and do, and if 
need be, suffer for him ? 



Men may judge us by the success of our efforts or 
plans ; but God looks at the plans and efforts them- 
selves, and at the spirit that prompts them. — Brown. 

Life is a journey; we need some one to point out its 
way. It is a labor ; we need some one to strengthen 
us for its performance. It is a discipline ; we need 
some one to train us for all that lies beyond it. It is 
a probation of character, and for eternity : we need 
some one to guard us from its temptations, support us 
under its trials, to give us the victory over self and 
sin and the world, and to bring us safely at last to 
the rest of heaven. And all this we can find only 
in Christ. * 



0 God, thy righteous grace display, 

And my protection be ; 
Teach me to know that only way 

That leads to heaven and thee. 

— W. Weangham. 



92 



MARCH 25. 



Whoso offer eth praise, glorifieth me. — Ps. 1. 23. 
\ 0 I feel the importance of praise as well as of 



1 J prayer ? And when blessings are bestowed in 
answer to prayer, do I bring the sacrifice of praise and 
thanksgiving for their bestowment ? Is it the great 
aim of my life to glorify God ? May I not glorify him 
by a cheerful and grateful spirit, daily acknowledging 
his goodness, and praising him for all his mercies both 
temporal and spiritual ? 



Cheerfulness with thankfulness of spirit fills the 
soul full of harmony. It makes and publishes glorifi- 
cations of God. When the oil of gladness runs over it 
makes bright emissions of light and holy fires of wor- 
ship, reaching up to the cloud and making joy round 
about it. — Bishop Tayloe. 

Let not thy praises be transient — a fit of music, and 
then thy harp hung by the wall till another gaudy day 
of some remarkable providence makes thee take it 
down. God comes not guest- wise to his saints' house, 
but to dwell with them. David took this up for a 
life work: "As long as I live, I will praise thee." — 
Guenall. 



Sing of his dying love ; 

Sing of his rising power ; 
Sing how he intercedes above, 
For us, whose sins he bore. 
Sing, till we feel our hearts 

Ascending with our tongues ; 
Sing, till the love of sin departs, 
And grace inspires our songs. 

— W. Hammond. 




MARCH 26, 



Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search 
for me with all your heart. — Jee. xxix. 13. 

ABOVE all things, do I desire God's presence and 
favor ? And am I seeking for him in his word, 
in prayer, in providence, and in all the means of grace ? 
Is it my sincere and earnest desire that God will always 
dwell with me ? Do I avoid whatever may displease 
him or grieve him from my heart? And even if I 
do not at once find, do I still persevere in seeking until 
he bless me ? 

God will not only pardon, but he will pardon freely, 
pardon fully, pardon frequentty, pardon like a God, the 
greatest sins, and the greatest sinners if they will but 
seek him in penitence and faith. Not one that so comes 
to him, will ever be cast out. * 

Promises are given, not to supersede, but to quicken 
and encourage prayer ; and when deliverance is coming, 
we must, by prayer, go forth to meet it. In. seeking 
God, we must search for him, and continue seeking 
and take pains in seeking ; and this we must do with 
our whole heart, in sincerity and truth. — Matthew 
Henry. 

Poor child of sin and woe, 

Now listen to thy Father's pleading voice ; 
No longer needst thou go 

Without a friend to bid thy heart rejoice. 
How canst thou turn away ? 

It is thy Father that invites thee near ! 
Then turn, and weep, and pray, 

And heaven shall hail thy penitential tear ! 

— Morris. 



94 



MARCH 27. 



I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are 
not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall 
be revealed in us. — Rom. viii. 18. 

AS to all the trials and suffering of life, do I bear 
in mind that they last but for a little while ; and 
that they are all designed by God to work out for me 
spiritual and eternal good ? Do I look awa}^ from them 
to the exceeding and eternal weight of glory laid up 
for those who, like Christ, are made perfect through 
suffering ? Are my trials sanctified ? Are they fitting 
me for the glory to be revealed to God's children in 
heaven ? 



Shall I dictate to the only wise God, my Saviour, 
what sort of discipline he ought to adopt in training 
me up for my purchased inheritance of glory? — H. 
Kirke White. 

Bear thy cross, and stand faithful to God, and then 
he will give thee a crown of everlasting glory that 
shall not be taken away. There is no other way 
which shall prosper than that in which holy men 
of old walked. — Wm. Penn. 



And thus by ways not understood, 

Out of each dark vicissitude, 

God brings us compensating good ; 

And faith is perfected by fears, 

And souls renew their youth with years, 

And love looks into heaven through tears. 

— Cary. 



MARCH 28. 



95 



Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be 
saved. — Acts xvi. 31. 

"["A 0 I accept with thankful and intelligent belief, 



i J the record given in the gospel, concerning Jesus 
Christ as the only and all-sufficient Redeemer? Have 
I come to him, and given myself to him as my Sa- 
viour, to be forgiven, taught, ruled and saved by him, 
in" the way that he has appointed? Do I trust my 
all to him for time and eternity, rejoicing in him as 
my hope, my guide, my strength, my full and com- 
plete salvation? Do I so live, as to have clear evi- 
dence of my faith ? 



The way of salvation is plain. There are only three 
steps : first, out of self ; second, into Christ ; third, 
into heaven. • 

Faith is nothing else but the soul's venture. It 
ventures to Christ, in opposition to legal terrors ; it 
ventures on Christ, in opposition to all guiltiness ; it 
ventures for Christ, in opposition to all difficulties and 
discouragements. — W. Bbidge. 



Till God in human flesh I see, 

My thoughts no comfort find ; 
The holy, just, and sacred Three 

Are terror to my mind. 
But if Immanuers face appear, 

My hope, my joy begins ; 
His name forbids my slavish fear, 

His grace removes my sins. 




— Watts. 



96 



MARCH 29. 



I w ill walk in thy truth. — Ps. lxxxvi. 11. 

ABOVE all things do I love the truth ? Is it my 
earnest prayer that God will make it plain to 
me, and aid me to walk in the way it points out as 
right ? Do I seek in all things to be governed by his 
teachings ? Am I anxious to be sincere in religion, 
and earnest in my desire to know and do the will of 
God ? Do I look to Christ as the great Teacher and 
perfect Example of truth, and endeavor so to live as 
faithfully to imitate him ? 



In the knowledge of God is the only true wisdom ; 
in the service of God, the only true freedom ; in the 
love of God, the only true felicity : and these all are 
so vast, that though they have their seed-time on 
earth, room for the harvest can only be found in 
eternity, in heaven. 

It is not the bee touching on flowers that gathers 
honey, but her abiding on them for a time, and so 
drawing out the sweet. So it is not he that reads 
most, but he that meditates most on divine truth, 
that will prove the choicest, wisest, and strongest 
Christian. — Bishop Hall. 



Truthful Spirit, dwell with me ; 
Let me ever walk with thee ; 
Let me know and love thy ways ; 
Let my life show forth thy praise ; 
Every truth make plain and clear, 
Till thy life in mine appear. 



MARCH SO. 



97 



God comforteth those that are cast clown. — 2 Cor. 
vii. 6. 

IF in trouble or sorrow, do I look to God alone for 
comfort? Do I acknowledge and feel that he 
best knows what is for my good ; and that if he 
sends trial, it is for my profit, that I may be partaker 
of his holiness? Do I go to him for comfort as I 
would to the dearest earthly friend, knowing that he 
is not only able, but willing to grant it, and to make 
every sorrow work out for me spiritual and eternal 

good ? 

Every bereaved and sorrowing heart, every de- 
spondent or struggling soul, every seeker after right- 
eousness can testify, that to believe in Jesus Christ is 
the sure road to support, and strength, and consola- 
tion. — C. Elliot. 

If God be our Father, and we know and feel it, we 
shall be content to let the vessel of our life drift where 
it will ; for if he guide the helm, it cannot fail to go 
upon the right track. 

The child leans on its parent's breast, 
Leaves there its cares and is at rest ; 
The bird sits singing by its nest, 

And tells aloud 
His trust in God, and so is blest 

'Neath every cloud ; 
By flowing stream or grassy mead, 

He sings to shame 
Men who forget, in fear of need, 

A Father's name. 

— Isaac Williams. 

7 



98 



MARCH 31. 



Be ye followers of God as dear children — -EpH. v. 1. 

AM I a follower of God — an humble, but faithful 
imitator of my divine Master? Do I cherish 
his Spirit, and seek to be conformed to his example, 
and to have his image enstamped upon my heart? 
Do I endeavor to be meek, and gentle, and loving, and 
holy as he was ? Every day do I keep his character 
and life before me, as they are set forth in his word ? 
And is it my constant prayer and effort, that I may 
every day be growing in likeness to him ? 



Christians are like children learning to write. They 
may never be able to write as perfectly as the engrav- 
ing ; yet if they do the best they can, and daily im- 
prove, the master is pleased. So we must ever copy 
the Lord Jesus. The truest scriptural perfection, is, 
to be always aiming at perfection. — Spuegeon. 

Christ is the pattern, the exemplary cause of our 
sanctification. Holiness in us, is the copy or tran- 
script of the holiness in him. As the wax hath line 
for line from the seal, and the child limb for limb, and 
feature for feature from the father, so is holiness in us 
from Christ. — Philip Heney. 



Quiet, Lord, my fro ward heart; 

Make me teachable and mild, 
Upright, humble, free from art ; 

Make me as the weaned child, 
From distrust and envy free, 
Pleased with all that pleases thee. 



APRIL 1. 



99 



The greatest of these is charity. — 1 Cor. xiii. 13. 
"\0 I bear in mind that those who most cultivate 



I J the grace of charity, or Christian love, are most 
like Christ in character ? Do I remember that love is 
the fulfilling of the law, and on it hang all the com- 
mandments ? Do I seek to be loving and kind to all, 
and so to imitate the example of the Saviour ? Do I 
habitually feel that if I love God, I must love all his 
creatures, and especially his children ? 

Love is the first outgoing of the renewed soul to 
God, "we love him, because he first loved us;" the 
evidence of saving grace in the soul, "the fruit of the 
Spirit is love the foundation of the Christian cha- 
racter, " we are rooted and grounded in love." It is 
the path in which all God's children are found, they 
" walk in love :" the bond of their virtual union, they 
are "knit together in love:" their protection in the 
spiritual warfare, they " put on the breastplate of 
love : w the completeness of their Christian character, 
they are " made perfect in love that by which they 
become like God and fitted for heaven, for " God is 
love," and heaven is a world where love reigns per- 
fectly, and for ever. . * 

Faith, hope, and charity, these three, 

Yet is the greatest charity ! 
Father of lights ! these gifts impart 

To mine, and every human heart. 
Faith, that in prayer can never fail, 

Hope, that o'er doubting must prevail; 
And charity, whose name above, 

Is God's own name, for God is love ! 




— Montgomery. 



100 



APRIL 2. 



Wa 7 Jc worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are 
called. — Eph. iv. 1. 

IS my daily walk as a Christian consistent with my 
high and holy calling in Christ Jesus ? In all the 
relations of life do I endeavor to cherish the spirit, and 
imitate the example of the blessed Saviour? Am I 
penitent for sin, humble in view of my unworthiness, 
strong in my faith in Christ, and holy in a life devoted 
to him? Is the daily aspiration of my heart for a 
closer walk with God? Am I willing to give up, 
promptly and cheerfully, everything that interferes 
with my nearness to him? 

Grace is of a stirring nature. It will show itself in 
holiness and good works. It will walk with you, and 
talk with you in all places and companies. It will buy 
with you, and sell with you, and have a hand with you 
in all your transactions, in public or in private, in the 
house or by the way. 

It is a blessed promise that "the Lord will give 
grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold 
from them that walk uprightly/' This is the ter- 
minating link in the golden chain of the everlasting 
covenant. It begins with grace, it ends with glory. 
It begins with our entrance on the Christian life 
here, and no link shall be wanting till the ransomed 
and glorified spirit shall be presented faultless before 
the throne with exceeding joy ! 

Oh, that our thoughts so heavenly were, 
Our hearts to Christ so fully given, 

That all our toils, and loves, and care, 

Might only lead us nearer there, 
Where he is set in heaven ! 



APRIL 3. 



101 



" Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy 
laden, and I will give you rest. — Matt. xi. 28. 

DO I feel that I am indeed a sinner against God ? 
And am I so burdened with a sense of sin, and 
so weary of it, that I long for rest, and am willing to 
seek it from Christ in the way of his appointment? 
Have I come to him in penitence and faith taking 
him as my Kedeemer, Kuler, Teacher, Guide, Example, 
casting my burdens on him, finding rest in his love, 
and expecting, through his promised grace, to be re- 
ceived at last to the rest of heaven ? 



Christ offers pardon to the guilty ; purity to the de- 
filed; peace, joy, hope, heaven to the wretched; or, 
which includes them all, that strange, unearthly bless- 
ing, rest to the weary and heavy-laden soul. — Caird. 

Oh, that word rest ! How sweet and how full of 
meaning, as it comes from the lips of the gracious 
Eedeemer ! Here is rest from the burden of guilt, 
from the annoyance of temptation, from the fear of 
death, from the gnawings of the worm that never dies ; 
rest from all the cares, and sorrows, and trials of this 
life ; rest in the bosom of infinite love ; rest eternal in 
the paradise of God ! Who that feels his need will re- 
fuse to accept it ? — C. Wilcox. 



Thine for ever ! Oh, how blest 
They who find in thee their rest ! 
Thou, the Life, the Truth, the Way, 
Guide us to the realms of day. 
Thine for ever may we be, 
Here and in eternity ! — Maude. 



102 



APRIL 4. 



Judge not, that ye he not fudged. — Matt. vii. 1. 
^vO I regard the conduct of others with the same 



. 1 J charity and mercy that I would have God show 
to mine ? If ever tempted to judge my fellow"-men, do 
I remember that to do it is to dare to assume an office 
which God claims for himself? Do I avoid discussing 
the characters and affairs of my neighbors ; and never, 
by word or look, sanction it on the part of others? 
Rather do I take the part of the absent, and instead of 
exposing their faults, endeavor to speak, if not a good, 
at least a kind word for them ? 



He who blames others the most, is usually the most 
to be blamed himself. An eye quick to detect the 
faults of another, is but too commonly blind to its 
own. A sharp tongue is moved by an unquiet spirit ; 
and an unquiet spirit wanteth not words of complain- 
ing and evil. Resentment, aversion, jealousy, indiffer- 
ence, all move us to unjust judgment of others. 

While I am ready to adopt for myself any well- 
grounded opinion of others, my inmost heart revolts 
against receiving the judgments of others respecting 
persons ; and I have never done so without bitterly 
repenting it. — Niebuhe. 



Judge not. The workings of his brain, 
And of his heart, thou canst not see ; 

What looks to thy dim eyes a stain, 
In God's pure light may only be 

A scar, brought from some well-won field, 

Where thou wouldst only faint and yield. 




APRIL 5. 



103 



Prepare to meet thy God. — Amos iv. 12. 
0 I realize that I must soon enter the unseen 



A-J state, and there meet God in judgment? And 
have I made the preparation that must be made 
before I can meet him in peace ? By sincere repent- 
ance for sin, and a living faith in the Lord Jesus 
Christ, am I prepared for the final day ? And were 
my soul this day required, should I meet death, not 
as a dreaded enemy, but rather as my Father's mes- 
senger and a friend? 



There are not many who finish their lives before they 
die. Very few go willingly ; most are forced, and not 
a few dragged to the grave. Instead of leaving the 
world, they are hunted out of it. — Gotthold. 

Death, to the good man, is but passing through a 
dark entry, out of one little dusky room in his 
Father's house into another that is fair, large, light- 
some, glorious, and divinely blessed. In the language 
of heaven, and to the heir of heaven, death means 
everlasting life. — Clarke. 



Thou canst make death's awful summons, 

Angel whispers to mine ear ; 
Chilling blood and breaking heartstrings, 

Thrills of joy if thou art near ! 
Waiting, working, praying, hoping, 

While the shadows creep apace, 
Clinging to thee — resting on thee, 

Death is but thy crowning grace ! 




— Beunot. 



104 



APRIL 6. 



Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope. — 
Zech. ix. 12. 

DO I feel that I am indeed a sinner against God? 
And does the sense of my sinfulness lead me to 
turn to Christ, the only stronghold of refuge for the 
guilty ? Have I, by faith, turned to him as the only 
and all -sufficient Saviour ? Do I bear in mind that 
he is almighty, and will not suffer Satan to be tri- 
umphant ? And as on earth he prayed for his tempted 
followers and prevailed, so do I know that, now, in 
heaven he is praying for me, and that if I trust him, 
I am for ever safe ? 



There is no condition so low, that we may not have 
hope, and none so high as to be above salutary fear. 
— M. Henry. 

God hath linked salvation to faith, by more than 
links of steel, even by his unchangeable decree. — 
C. Hodge. 

Heaven's gates are wide enough to admit every 
sinner in the universe who is penitent, but too narrow 
to admit a single sin. — Howels. 



Lo ! the incarnate God, ascended, 
Pleads the merit of his blood ; 

Venture on him, venture wholly, 
Let no other trust intrude ; 

None but Jesus — none but Jesus, 
Can do helpless sinners good. 

— J. Hart. 



APRIL 7. 



105 



Go, work to-day in my vineyard. — Matt. xxi. 28. 

HAVE I entered the vineyard of the Lord ? And 
am I a faithful laborer in it ? In all sincerity 
can I say that I do what I can — that I endeavor to 
fill my sphere of duty? What are my motives in 
labor? Am I working for the glory of God, or for 
my personal advancement, and to win the praise of 
men? Do I depend on anything that I can do as 
giving me a title to God's favor ? Or is my diligence 
in labor the fruit of my love to him ? 



Idleness is the mother of many sinful children. 
They that do nothing are in the ready way to do 
worse than nothing. — The devil, says the proverb, 
tempts all men ; but the idle man tempts the devil 
to tempt him. * 

Work for God, is treasure laid up in heaven. 

If there be happiness on earth, it is in laboring in 
the cause of Christ. The vineyard is to be cultivated ; 
the command is that we enter it and work ; and our 
reward will be proportionate to our diligence. 



Teach me to live ! No idler let me be, 

But in thy service heart and hand employ ; 

Ever to do thy bidding cheerfully, 

Be this my highest and my holiest joy. 

A faithful steward may I here be found, 

And so at last with endless glory crowned ! 



106 



APRIL 8. 



I delight to do thy will, 0 my God. — Ps. xl. 8. 
S it my chief desire and prayer, that I may do the 



my will to his, as it is made known to me in his word, 
in his providence, and by his Spirit ? Is it my daily 
and sincere prayer, that I may habitually feel that God 
knows all things, and has my well-being at heart, and 
that his will must be best ? With the blessed Saviour, 
can I at all times say, "Not my will, but thine be 
done !" 



God's people are travelers. Sometimes they are in 
dark lanes and deep valleys, and sometimes "on the 
hills of joy, where all is light and peace. Let them 
but always follow, and he will always guide. — Top- 
lady. 

He who can say, I will whatever God wills, is 
always safe, and must be happy. — J. Hawes. 

Childlike obedience moves toward every command 
of God, as the needle points where the loadstone 
draws. If God calls to duties that are crosses to 
flesh and blood, if we are indeed his children we hear 
and obey our Father's voice. — T. Watson. 




Do I seek to conform 



Thy way, not mine, 0 Lord, 
However dark it be : 



Lead me by thine own hand, 
Choose out the path for me, 



APRIL 9. 



107 



Glorify ye the Lord in the fires. — Isa. xxiv. 15. 

WHEN the fires of affliction are kindled about 
me, do I glorify God in the flames ? Does my 
patience under tribulation, beam forth to the glory of 
God ? Do I glorify him by a spirit of thankfulness 
for the comforts he has left me, and by submission as 
to those he has seen fit to take away? If in the 
furnace, like the three of old, is the Son of God 
with me in the flames? 



Afflictions are blessings to us when we can bless 
God for afflictions. God had one Son without sin, but 
lie never had any without sorrow. — Dyer. 

If thou bear the cross cheerfully, it will bear thee, 
and lead thee to the world where there is an end of 
suffering for ever. — Thomas a Kempis. 

" Why should I murmur ?" said Henry Martyn in 
his last sickness : " weakness, peril and pain are but 
ministering angels to conduct me to glory. ;; 

Hold fast Christ, and take his cross cheerfully ; for 
though he and his cross are not separable in this life, 
they part at the door in heaven. — Rutherford. 



Would not thy sorest tribulations prove 

Their own best recompense, if, through the years 

Of never-ending bliss, one voice were heard 

To say that these, thy sorrows sanctified, 

Had proved the means of leading thee to heaven ! 

— Macduff. 



108 



APRIL 10. 



Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps 
slip not. — Ps. xvii. 5. 

THOUGH, by divine grace, I have been rescued 
from the paths of the destroyer, yet do I pray 
for sustaining grace, that I may be kept in the way 
of godliness that leads to heaven ? While I labor 
to enter into God's rest, do I pray that he will keep 
me, and aid me in reliance on his strength, to be 
faithful to the end? 



The body of our prayer is the sum of our duty ; and 
as we must ask of God whatsoever we need, we must 
labor for all that we ask. — Jeeemy Tatloe. 

"When I forget to crave help from God the chariot 
wheels of duty drive heavily. — Philip Heney. 

Though in God's paths, we must pray to be kept in 
them ; for we stand no longer than he may hold us, 
and go no further than he may cany, and uphold, and 
strengthen us. Do all that we can to stand, and then 
pray to be kept from falling, and by the grace of God 
we are safe ! * 



Lord ! be mine the prize to win ; 
Guide me through this world of sin ; 
Keep me by thy saving grace ; 
Give me at thy side a place ; 
Sun and shield alike thou art, 
Guide and guard my erring heart ; 
Grace and glory flow from thee, 
Shed, oh, shed them, Lord on me ! 

— H. F. Lyte. 



APRIL 11. 



109 



My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is 
made perfect in weakness. — 2 Cor. xii. 9. 

DO I feel, as I ought, that I am nothing in my- 
self? And feeling this, do I look to the all- 
sufficient Saviour for help in the hour of weakness, 
and for the strength that I need for every conflict, and 
for the discharge of every duty? Every day do I 
seek for divine strength, endeavoring humbly to rely 
on its promised aid to all who ask it, that I may be 
faithful even until death? 



Every promise is a staff, able, if we have faith to 
lean upon it, to bear our whole weight, whether of sin 
or duty, of care or trouble. — Bridges. 

Often the Christian, while gathering a few flowers 
from the world, suffers his God to be at a distance 
from him. But the moment he perceives he is alone, 
he runs to reach his Father and best protector. — Row- 
land Hill. 

Humility is the first lesson we learn from reflection ; 
and self-distrust the first proof we give of having ob- 
tained a view of ourselves, or of God. — Zimmerman. 



I ask Thee for the daily strength, 

To none that ask denied ; 
And a mind to blend with outward life 

While keeping near thy side ; 
Content to fill the lowest place, 

If thou be glorified. — A. L. Waring. 



110 



APRIL 12. 



All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. — Isa. lxiv. 6. 

DO I feel that my best actions are so imperfect, 
and come so far short of the divine standard of 
duty, that I cannot count them as righteous ? Do I 
regard all that God's grace enables me to do. as only 
duty, and duty at best but imperfectly performed? 
And do I look only to the spotless robe of Christ's 
righteousness, to cover my imperfections and weak- 
nesses and sins, that so I may stand accepted as right- 
eous for Jesus' sake ? 



Morality without religion, is only a kind of dead 
reckoning, an endeavor to find our place on a cloudy 
sea by measuring the distance we have run, but 
without any observation of the heavenly bodies. — 
Longfellow. 

There is none truly purged by the blood of Christ, 
that doth not endeavor after purity of heart and life. 
But yet it is the blood of Christ, by which they are 
fair, so that there is no spot in them. — Leightox. 



Not the labors of my hands 
Can fulfill the law's demands ; 
Could my zeal no respite know, 
Could my tears for ever flow, 
All for sin could not atone ; 
Thou must save, and thou alone. 
Nothing in my hand I bring, 
Simply to thy cross I cling ! 

— Toplady. 



APRIL 13. 



Ill 



Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness. 
— Ps. cvii. 15. 

HEN I think of the infinite power and glory 
of God, should not his goodness to sinful men 
fill me with wonder and adoring love ? Does not every 
earthly blessing he bestows declare his goodness ? And 
is not that wondrous goodness still more manifest in 
sending his Son to die for us when we were sinners ? By 
sincere penitence for sin, and a life of holy obedience, 
should I not seek to show my gratitude for such won- 
derful goodness ? — 

We write our mercies in the dust ; but our afflic- 
tions we engrave in marble. Our memories serve us 
but too well to remember the latter; but we are 
strangely forgetful of the former. — Bishop Hall. 

If one should give me a dish of sand, and tell me 
there were particles of iron in it, I might feel for them 
with the finger in vain. But let a magnet sweep 
through it, and how would that draw to itself the 
most invisible particles by the mere power of attrac- 
tion. The unthankful heart, like my finger in that 
sand, discovers no mercies. But let the thankful heart- 
sweep through the day, and as the magnet finds the 
iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly 
blessings : — only the iron in God's sand, is gold. — 0. 

W. Holmes. — 

All nature round us hath an earnest voice, 
And ever in God's blessing doth rejoice; 
While every lesson heard, 
Echoes the written word, 
And speaks on every side, beneath, above, 
Loudly proclaiming, God indeed is love ! 




112 



APRIL U. 



We must, through much tribulation, enter into the 
kingdom of God. — Acts xiv. 22. 

"T~"\ 0 I bear in mind that if I would wear the crown 



. 1 J I must bear the cross ? And does this thought, 
instead of enervating and depressing, rather rouse and 
nerve me for the Christian conflict ? Does the fact that 
suffering is the badge of sonship, reconcile me to trials 
that otherwise it would be impossible to bear ? Do I 
remember that though God's children may long walk 
in the vale of trial, they shall soon ascend from it to 
the unclouded glories of heaven ? 



Affliction is the divine school of virtue ; it corrects 
levity, interrupts the confidence of sinning, and softens 
and purifies the heart. — Attebbtjby. 

We are not to expect the joys of heaven while here 
on earth. Let us be content that there is a highway 
to its blessedness for us to walk in, and a Leader to 
conduct us in that way. — Cecil. 



Griefs may trouble and distress thee, 

'Twill but drive thee to his breast; 
Life with trials hard may press thee, 

Heaven will bring but sweeter rest. 
Haste thee on from grace to glory, 

Armed by faith and winged by prayer ; 
Heaven's eternal day before thee, 

God's own hand shall guide thee there. 




— H. F. Lyte. 



APRIL 15. 



113 



She hath done what she could, — Mark xiv. 8. 



JL_y the Saviour applies to me ? Is it my daily and 
earnest desire to do what I can to honor God, and bless 
my fellow-men ? Do I feel that duty is to fulfill the 
claims of the day ? And am I anxious to please God 
by fidelity in little things — by the right performance 
of the daily and hourly duties that meet me at every 
step in the pathway of life, remembering that he that 
is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in 
much ? 

We are not answerable for our stations in life, but 
for our conduct in them. We can serve God in ad- 
versity, as well as prosperity ; in private, as well as 
public; in little things, as well as great. If we do 
whatever God in his word and providence appoints, 
we shall have the testimony that we please him. — 
W. Jay. 

Your circumstances and position in life may be such 
as to forbid any great and splendid service for God. 
But the quiet and humble walk ; fidelity, diligence, 
patience, submission ; an unselfish and cheerful spirit ; 
the kind and thoughtful and considerate word and 
deed, these he values as much as the most laborious 
and imposing efforts. * 

We need not bid, for cloistered cell, 
Our neighbor and our work farewell ; 
The trivial round, the common task, 
May furnish all we ought to ask, 
Room to deny ourselves, a road 
To bring us, daily, nearer God. — Keble. 

8 




commendation of 



114 



APRIL 16. 



And to every man his work.-M.A~RK xiii. 34. 

IF I would ever do anything for God, for my own 
soul, for my fellow-men, why not be doing it now ? 
And if I have never begun to do it, why not begin to- 
day ? Is not the night coming when no man can work ? 
Is there not work enough to be done ? And does not 
the command of a loving Father, speaking with both 
authority and affection, urge me to be doing it ? At 
longest, is not the time for working short ? When the 
Master comes, shall I be found faithfully toiling for 
him? 



Be at work. Do what you can. Weep with them 
that weep, if you cannot relieve them. If you cannot 
give gold, give personal service. Teach children, if 
you cannot instruct men. Be a support to the house- 
hold, if not able to be a pillar of state. Be a lamp in 
the chamber, if you cannot be a star in the sky. Glad- 
den the circle of home, if you cannot illumine a city. 
Talk to the few, if you cannot preach to the many. If 
you cannot save a world, try to lead at least some one 
soul to Christ. — S. Coley. 



Work, for your mission is grand and great ; 
Work, from the earliest dawn till late ; 
Work till the world from its sin is weaned ; 
Work till the harvest is fully gleaned ; 
Work till the Master shall come again ; 
Work, and think never of toil or pain. 
Rest will be sweet when the day is done ; 
Glory is sure when the battle is won ! 



APRIL 17. 



115 



My God shall supply all your need. — Phil. iv. 19. 

DO I seek, or have I been seeking from the world, 
a supply for the wants and cravings of my im- 
mortal soul ? And having found that it cannot satisfy, 
have I learned to look to the only One who can supply 
all my needs, both temporal and spiritual ? Do I habit- 
ually go to God for all I esteem as good, and rely on 
him to bestow it? And if in any measure I am able 
to be, or do good, do I give all the honor to him alone ? 



He that follows the Lord fully, will find that good- 
ness and mercy follow him continually. For daily 
wants he will find daily grace. If God had ever failed 
one who trusted in him, we might doubt. But he never 
has, and therefore we may well be confident. * 

If there had not been such a thing as goodness, I 
should long ago have given up all hope of earthly 
good. If not such a thing as grace, I should long 
ago have given up the hope of heaven. But good- 
ness, grace, the merits of Christ for nothing, have 
been and for ever must be the rock on which we 
perishing souls must rest. — Kutherford. 



Look to Jesus when distrest, 

See what he the Holy bore ; 
Is thy heart with conflict prest ? 

Is thy spirit harassed sore ? 
See his sweat of blood, his conflict, 

Watch his agony increase, 
Harken to his groans ascending, 

Hear his prayer, and feel his peace. 

— Fraugen. 



116 



APRIL 18. 



Let thy garments he always white. — Eccl. ix. 8. 
AO I pass through the world fulfilling the part 



\ s which God has appointed as mine, not going out 
of it to avoid temptations, but endeavoring to overcome 
them in Christ's strength ? Do I so live that all can 
see that though in the world I am not of it, but above 
it ? Have I washed my soul white in the blood of the 
Lamb ? By prayer and watchfulness, and in humble 
dependence on the Holy Spirit, do I keep myself un- 
spotted from the world? 



The religion of the gospel calls us both out of the 
world, and into the world ; out of it, as to its princi- 
ples and maxims and temper; into it, as a field of 
labor and a sphere of usefulness, where we are to be 
diligent in business, to relieve the distressed, to teach 
the ignorant, to reclaim the vicious, and to do good to 
all as Christ did. — W. Jay. 

Alas ! how defiled in thy most holy sight, are my 
garments and walk ! No doubt from day to day I 
brush away the dust, but ah ! how little good it does ! 
Forgive me, 0 my Father, and cleanse me, granting 
me so to walk that I may at last enter, pure and un- 
sullied, tlry holy city ! — Gotthold. 



Teach me to live Thy purpose to fulfill ; 

Bright for thy glory let my taper shine : 
Each day renew, remould this stubborn will ; 

Closer round thee my heart's affections twine ; 
Keep me unspotted while a pilgrim here ; 
Then bring me, sinless, to the heavenly sphere ! 




APRIL 19. 



117 



The Lord heareth the prayer of the righteous. — 
Peov. xv. 29. 

AMI one of those whose prayers God has prom- 



answer to my prayer, in the spirit of submission, only 
asking for what God sees best to grant, remembering 
that God has said, "For all this will I be inquired of 
by the house of Israel to do it for them " ? Are all 
my prayers offered in the name of Christ, the great 
Mediator and Intercessor ? And do I know that for 
his sake, God will bestow whatever is for my highest 
good and his own glory ? 

He that is much in prayer shall grow rich in grace. 
He shall thrive and increase most, that is busiest in 
this, which is our very traffic with heaven, and brings 
the most precious commodities thence. — Leighton. 

We are often as sad after prayer as before, because 
our prayers are not the prayers of expecting faith. 
But prayer, if offered with real belief and hope, will 
enable us always to roll our cares from ourselves upon 
the Lord. — M. Heney. 



If pains afflict, or wrongs oppress, 

If cares distract, or fears dismay, 
If guilt deject, if sin distress, 

The remedy's before thee — pray. 
; Tis prayer supports the soul that's weak, 

Though thought be broken, language lame ; 
Pray if thou canst, or canst not, speak, 

But pray with faith in Jesus' name. — J. Haet. 




Do I pray in faith, expecting an 



118 



APRIL 20. 



Lord, ivhat wilt thou have me to do f — Acts ix. 6. 

IS this the great question — the sincere question — ■ 
the habitual question of my life ? Is the will of 
God rny pleasure, and the work of God my choice and 
delight ? Do I seek to do good to all, and at all times, 
as the providence of God may open the way for it ? 
Is it my earnest prayer and chief desire that I may 
be diligent and faithful in following the example of 
him whose meat and drink it was to do the will of 
God? 



My heaven is to please God and glorify him ; to give 
all to him ; to be diligent in his work, and wholly de- 
voted to his glory. That is the heaven that I long for ; 
that is my religion, and that is my happiness. — Aden. 

A man sincerely obedient will not pick and choose 
what commands to obey, and what to reject. He will 
lay such a charge upon his whole man as the mother 
of Christ did on the servants at the feast. " Whatso- 
ever he saith unto you, do it." Eyes, ears, hands, 
heart, body, soul, do you all seriously and lovingly 
observe and diligently do whatever Christ says unto 
you? — T. Brooks. 



At evening to myself I say, 

Where hast thou been and gleaned to-day, 

Thy labors how bestowed ? 
What hast thou rightly said or done ? 
What grace attained, what knowledge won, 

In following after God ? — C. Wesley. 



APRIL 21. 



119 



Now is the accepted time; behold now is the day 
of salvation. — 2 Cob. vi. 2. 

DO I realize that time is both short and uncertain ? 
And am . I making a diligent use of the present, 
leaving nothing undone that I ought to do ; trusting 
nothing to the uncertainties of the future, which to 
me may never come ? Do I realize that my eternal 
welfare depends on the use I am making of the 
present ? And am I diligent and earnest in working 
out my salvation, while God is waiting to work with 
me, both to will and to do, that I may be saved ? 



There are but three steps to salvation : out of self ; 
into Christ ; into heaven. Out of self by repentance ; 
into Christ, by faith ; into heaven, by grace. 

The way to heaven is narrow and difficult. Sin is 
to be forsaken, the world overcome, Satan resisted, 
self denied, duties diligently performed. Few go in 
this way. But the way to hell is open, broad, and 
thronged. To walk in it is easy; but the end is 
death. The narrow way demands effort, but it leads 
to life everlasting. * 



Be wise to-day ; 'tis madness to defer ; 
Next day the fatal precedent will plead : 
Thus on till wisdom is pushed out of life ! 
Procrastination is the thief of time ; 
Year after year it steals till all are fled, 
And to the merits of a moment leaves 
The vast concerns of an eternal scene ! 

— Young. 



120 



APRIL 22. 



In God have I put my trust. — Ps. Ivi. 4. 

IS my faith so clear and settled and steadfast, that 
I can and do adopt this sublime language of the 
apostle as my own ? Have I such full and implicit 
confidence in Christ's power and willingness and 
promises, that I commit my soul to him to save it, 
my life to protect and guide and direct it, and my 
entire being to reign in and over it, and to use it with 
all its powers and capacities, to his honor and glory ? 
Does this confidence dispel every doubt and fear, and 
enable me, whether living or dying, to say, i( I know 
whom I have believed " ? 



Our hope is not hung on such an untwisted thread 
as " I imagine so," or "It is likely;" but the strong 
cable of our fastened anchor is the promise and oath 
of him who is eternal verity. Our salvation is 
fastened with God's own hand and Christ's own 
strength to the strong hold of God's unchanging 
nature and truthfulness. — Kuthekfoed. 



Thou art the true, incarnate Lord, 

"Who did vouchsafe for man to die ! — 
Thy love is sure, thy plighted word 

No change can falsify ! 
I bent before thy gracious throne, 

And asked for peace with suppliant knee ; 
And peace was given — nor peace alone, 

But faith and hope and ecstasy ! 

— WOEDSWOETH. 



APRIL 23. 



121 



Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ 
Jesus. — Phil. ii. 5. 

DO I earnestly and prayerfully endeavor to cherish, 
habitually, the spirit of Christ? Do I seek to 
learn of him who was meek and lowly of heart ? Like 
him, do I strive to be gentle and kind to all ; by word 
and deed to do them good ; to sympathize with them in 
sorrow, and aid them to improve prosperity ; and in 
all, to point them to heaven ? Like him am I sub- 
missive and obedient to the will of the Father ? Am 
I willing even to bear the cross, if I may but honor 

him? 

Life affords but few opportunities of doing great 
things for others. But there is scarcely an hour of 
the day which does not afford opportunities of per- 
forming some little kindness to others, in the spirit 
and for the sake of Christ. — Bowes. 

Wherever a care is to be lightened; wherever a kind 
word or look may give relief; wherever forbearance 
may be manifested, or forgiveness shown, or sympathy 
expressed, or good of any kind be done, there we may 
show forth the spirit of the Saviour, and so do that 
which is well pleasing to him. — Taylor. 

More holiness give me ; more strivings within ; 
More patience in suffering ; more sorrow for sin ; 
More faith in the Saviour ; more sense of his care ; 
More joy in his service ; more purpose in prayer ; 
More grace to be humble; more strength to overcome; 
More freedom from earth stains; more longings for 
home. 

More fit for the kingdom ; more useful I'd be ; 

More thankful ; more holy ; more, Saviour, like thee ! 



122 



APRIL 2^. 



With the heart man believeth unto righteous?! ess. — 



"AS my confession of Christ a deeper origin than 



J L_ that of the lips ? Does my faith go further than 

the understanding ? Does it take in the real, earnest, 
sincere, and strong consent of the will, and the warm 
affections of the soul ? Does my heart yield unfeigned 
assent to the gospel revelation concerning Christ as the 
only Saviour ? And do I rest all my hopes for time 
and eternity on him, taking his righteousness as mine, 
and having my life in him ? 



Justifying faith is such a belief of the gospel through 
the power of God's Spirit, as leads us to come to Christ, 
to receive Christ, to trust in Christ, to obey Christ, to 
be united to Christ, and to commit the keeping of our 
souls to Christ., in the humble but strong confidence of 
his perfect ability and willingness to save us. It is not 
the product of mere human reason, though entirely 
consistent with it. It has its deep foundation in the 
heart. 



man of subtle reasoning asked 

A peasant if he knew 
What is the clearest evidence 

That proves the gospel true. 
The terms of disputative art 

Had never reached his ear ; 
He laid his hand upon his heart, 

And simply answered, " Here!" 



Bom. x. 10. 




APRIL 25. 



123 



Be ye also ready ; for in such an hour as ye think 
not, the Son of man cometh. — Matt. xxiv. 44. 
A M I a waiting, as well as a working servant, 



whether the time be distant or near at hand ? Am I 
so clothed with his righteousness as to be fit to be 
received by him ; and so diligent in his work, that he 
will own me as a good and faithful servant ? Is the 
prospect of death, and of meeting Christ, one of ap- 
prehension, or of calm and trustful anticipation to 

me? 

0 Lord, let no business, no pleasures, no plans ever 
divert my thoughts from the world to come ; but may 
I cheerfully part with all when thou mayest require it. 
— Bishop Wilson. 

A wise man said to his disciples : " Turn to God 
one day before your death." " But," said they, " how 
can a man know the day of his death ?" " There- 
fore," said he, "you should turn to God to-day; for 
perhaps you may die to-morrow. Thus every day 
will be employed in returning, and you will be al- 
ways ready." 

Traveler, see thy gracious day, 

Swiftly drawing to its end ; 
Mend thy pace, pursue thy way, 

E'er the shades of night descend. 
Fear to lose a moment's space, 

Watchful, earnest, hasten on ; 
And when death concludes thy race, 

Dying, shout, " The work is done !" 
Eeady, faithful, ever be, 
Till the Saviour call for thee ! 




coming of my Lord, no matter 



121 



'APRIL 26. 



I can do all things through Christ which strength- 
eneth me. — Phil. iv. 13. 

DO I realize, as I ought, that the ever-present 
sustaining strength of Christ is promised to 
all who seek it? And feeling my constant need, do 
I go to him for the help he is always so ready to 
impart ? Do I daily ask what I can do for him to- 
day, watching for opportunities that I may honor him 
by doing the work that in his providence he may give 

me to do ? 

Keep Christ in your heart, and he will give you 
strength for every duty, courage for every conflict, 
safety in every temptation, comfort in every sorrow, 
and life eternal in the hour of death. Though weak 
in yourself, in God's strength you may thresh down 
the mountains. Like the apostle, you can do all 
things through Christ strengthening you. * 

Creatures may not be able, or if able, may not be 
willing : but Christ is both able and willing. In 
temporals, he will help me by his providence ; in 
spirituals, from his own fullness : in health, that I 
may not slide: in sickness, that I may not mur- 
mur ; in plenty, that I may not be proud : in pov- 
erty, that I may not complain ; in all times of sick- 
ness, pain, sorrow, temptation, distress, that I may 
honor him, and be faithful to the end. — J. Smith. 

Thy grace sustains my spirit now, 
Though still a pilgrim here below ; 
That grace suffices, comforts, guides, 
Upholds, defends, preserves, provides, 
Gives foretaste here of promised bliss, 
And leads where Christ for ever is ! 



APRIL 27. 



125 



Lord, thou lenowest all things; thou' know est that 
I love thee. — John xxi. 17. 

CAN I appeal to my Saviour, who knows all things, 
as to the sincerity of my love to him ? Is it a 
comfort to know that my witness is with him, and that 
my record is in the Lamb's book of life? And does 
the sense of his wondrous love fill me with thankful- 
ness, and constrain me to live for him ? Has he al- 
ways the first place in my heart, and the entire conse- 
cration of my life ? 



Love is the greatest thing that God can give us ; for 
he himself is love. It is the greatest thing we can give 
to God; for it gives ourselves, and all that is ours. 
They are the truest disciples of Christ, not who know 
most, but who love most. — Jeremy Taylor. 

0 Lord, I am thine. Thou hast bought me with 
thy blood ; won me by thy grace ; called me by thy 
word ; subdued me by thy Spirit ; adopted me as thy 
child ; and so sealed me as an heir of heaven. I am 
thine entirely and for ever. My soul is thine, to adore 
thee ; my heart thine, to love thee ; my body thine, to 
serve thee ; my tongue thine, to praise thee ; my entire 
being thine, to glorify and enjoy thee for ever ! * 



In word, in deed, in thought, 

I do not, cannot love thee as I ought. 
Thy love must give the power. That love alone 

Can kindle here below 

Such love within me as the seraphs know, 
Who burn and worship ever round thy throne ! 



126 



APRIL 28. 



A Christian. — 1 Pet. iy. 16. 
ITH a clear knowledge of all that is implied in 



V V the word, can I call myself a Christian ? Do 
I receive all that Christ teaches,, and endeavor, by the 
aid of the Holy Spirit, to do all that Christ commands? 
Am I Christlike in my views of truth ; in my temper; 
in my endeavors, like him, to do good ? Does my re- 
ligion stand firm alike in joy or sorrow, in the snnshine 
and the storm ? Does it exert a hallowed influence on 
others ? Does the world see, and say, that I am a faith- 
ful follower of Christ ? 

If you are in faith a believer, in knowledge a disci- 
ple, in character a saint, in influence a light, in conflict 
a soldier, in communion a friend, in progress a pilgrim, 
and in relationship to God a child, then you may be 
assured that you are a Christian, an heir of God, and 
joint-heir with his Son. - 

A Christian is one who is decided in his devotedness 
to God ; painstaking in his search for truth ; strong in 
benevolent purpose and holy endeavors ; wielding a 
blessed influence ; often failing, but never ceasing in 
right effort; one who lives for Christ, and of whom, in 
death, it can be said, " He being dead, yet speaketh." 
— Kinston. 



Thee to serve, and thee to know, 
Constitute my bliss below ; 
Thee to see, and thee to love, 
Constitute my bliss above. 
Lord, it is not life to live, 
If thy presence thou deny ; 
And if thou that presence give, 
'Tis no longer death to die ! 




APRIL 29. 



127 



I have set the Lord always before me. — Ps. xvi. 8. 
P\ 0 I set God before me in all my thoughts, plans, 



I J words and deeds ? Do I look to him as my chief 
good and highest end ; my Owner, Euler, Director and 
Judge ; my gracious Redeemer, my constant Benefactor, 
my sure Guide, my everlasting Friend ? And in all this, 
have I the comforting assurance that I shall not be 
moved from the path of duty, or lose the comforts of 
his presence ? Is love to him the great source of my 
confidence ? 



To obey God in some things of religion and not in 
others, shows an unsound heart. Childlike obedience 
moves toward every command of God, as the needle 
points that way which the loadstone draws. — Watson. 

It ought to be the great care of every one of us, 
to follow the Lord fully. We must follow him uni- 
versally, without dividing; uprightly, without dis- 
sembling ; cheerfully, without disputing ; constantly, 
without declining ; and this is following him fully. — • 
M. Henry. 



With heart, and eyes, and lifted hands, 

For thee I long, to thee I look ; 
As travelers in thirsty lands, 

Pant for the cooling water-brook. 
For life itself, without thy love, 

No taste of pleasure could afford ; 
'Twould but a tiresome burden prove, 

If I were banished from my Lord. 




— Watts. 



128 



APRIL 30. 



God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the 
humble. — 1 Pet. v. 5. 

DO I remember not only the infinite distance be- 
tween God and myself, but my weakness, my 
ignorance, my sinfulness, and does the thought of all 
this keep me humble before the High and Holy One ? 
And if pride ever rises within, do I think of him who, 
though he was God, yet took on himself the form of 
a servant, and endured the contradiction of sinners, 
and died that we might live ? and does this thought 
lay every feeling of self-exaltation in the dust ? 



If we are truly humble, we shall readily believe all 
God says ; thankfully receive all he gives : patiently 
endure all he inflicts ; meekly resign all he may take ; 
promptly do all he commands, and unhesitatingly be- 
lieve all that he promises. Humility will make us 
sincere toward God, and courteous toward man. — 
James Smith. 

The showers of grace slide off from the lofty moun- 
tains, but rest on the valleys, and make them fruitful. 
He giveth grace to the lowly. He loves to bestow it 
where there is most room to receive it, and most re- 
turn of praises for it. Such is the humble heart ; and 
truly as much humility gains much grace, so it grows 
by it. — Leighton. 

The saint that wears heaven's highest crown, 
In deepest adoration bends ; 

The weight of glory bows him down 
The most when high his soul ascends. 

Nearest the throne itself must be 

The footstool of humility. — Montgomery. 



MA Y 1. 



129 



Be renewed in the spirit of your mind. — Eph. iv. 23. 
T\0 I find for myself, and give to others, the evi- 



JLy dence, that I am a new creature in Christ Jesus ? 
Are the principles, habits, and dispositions of my soul 
changed? Do I shrink from allowing the sinful desires, 
and yielding to the sinful propensities of former days ? 
Are the things of God precious to me ? Is the society 
of his people a pleasure ? Is obedience to his will my 
great aim ? Does my life show the change of my heart? 



Heart-work must be God's work. Only the great 
Heart-maker, can be the great Heart-breaker. If I 
love him, my heart will be filled with his Spirit, and 
obedient to his commands. — Baxtee. 

I heartily desire that ye would mind your country, 
and consider to what direction your soul setteth its 
face ; for all come not home at night who suppose 
they have set their face heavenward through the day. 

— BlJTHEEFOED. 



Oh for a heart to praise my God ; 

A heart from sin set free ; 
And cleansed in thine atoning blood, 

So freely shed for me. 
A heart in every thought renewed, 

And filled with love divine ; 
Perfect, and right, and pure, and good, 

A copy. Lord, of thine ! — C. Wesley. 

9 




130 



MA Y 2. 



As thy days, so shall thy strength he. — Deut. 
xxxiii. 25. 

HAS God given me work to do, or burdens to 
bear, which are beyond my own strength? 
Then do I take to myself the full benefit and com- 
fort of the promise, that he will give me strength 
according to my need? Do I bear in mind that 
this strength will be given just when I need it, and 
not before ; living strength for the living day, and 
dying strength for the dying day? And do I re- 
member that God is able to fulfill his promise, and 
that he always will, if by faith I take him at his 
word ? 



Oh ! how sweet for us to learn to make our own 
burdens light, by framing our hearts to the burden ; 
making God's will our law, and God's promise our 

Support. — EUTHEEFOED. 

Every promise of God rests on four pillars: his 
holiness and justice, which will not suffer him to 
deceive ; his grace and goodness, which will not 
suffer him to forget ; his truth, which will not suffer 
him to change, and his power, which makes him 
able to accomplish. — Saltee. 



0 fellow-Christian, whosoe'er thou art 

This is for thee and me : 
This wine of trust that maketh glad the heart, 

In its adversity. — 
Drink, therefore, and so bear a braver part ; 

For as thy day, so sure, thy strength shall be. 



MA 7 3. 



131 



I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, 
and speak comfortably unto her. — Hos. ii. 14. 

I A 0 I realize that when God has mercy in store for 



1 J his children, he often brings them to the wilder- 
ness of trial, that there, in quiet and retirement, they 
may commune with him ? Does it encourage me to 
know, that when the enforced quiet has done its ap- 
pointed work, then he will speak comfort to the soul, 
and give that peace and joy which now only from near- 
ness of communion with himself? 



Whilst thou art passing on through the wilderness, 
from the gate of hell where thou wast, to the gate of 
heaven where thou art going, God hath strewed thy 
path with promises, as with flowers from his own 
paradise. — Bunyan. 

Give me the comforts of God, and I can well bear 
the taunts of men. Let me lay my head on the bosom 
of Jesus, and I fear not the distraction of care and 
trouble. If my God will but give me the light of his 
smile, and the blessing of his benediction, it is enough. 
— Spuegeon. 



Till death the weary spirit free, 

My God hath said, " ; Tis good for thee 

To walk by faith, and not by sight 
Take it on trust a little while ; 

Soon shalt thou read the mystery right, 
In the full sunlight of his smile. — Keble. 




132 



MA Y 4. 



Blessed is he that considereth the poor ; the Lord 
will deliver him in time of trouble. — Ps. xli. 1. 

DO I constantly bear in mind that, as to all I pos- 
sess, I am but God's steward ? xVnd as he has 
commanded, do I thoughtfully and habitually consider 
the poor ? Do I aid them only when their necessities 
are forced upon my notice ; or do I seek out the know- 
ledge of their wants through personal and self-sacri- 
ficing efforts ? Is my aid given in a kind and sympa- 
thizing spirit ? And do I seek to do good alike to the 
body and the soul ? 



Proportion thy charity to the strength of thine 
estate, lest God proportion thine estate to the weak- 
ness of thy charity. Let the lips of the poor be the 
trumpet of thy gift, lest, in seeking applause, thou 
lose thy reward. Nothing is more pleasing to God 
than an open hand and a close mouth. — Quaeles. 

Take care of the poor, and the Lord will take care 
of you. Liberality to them is the surest and safest 
way of thriving. Such as practice it may be sure of 
relief from God in their own time of need. — Mat- 
thew Henby. 



Give ! as the morning that flows out of heaven ; 
Give ! as the waves when their channel is riven ; 
Give ! as the free air and sunshine are given ; 

Lavishly, thoughtfully, cheerfully give: 
Not the waste drops of thy cup overflowing ; 
Not the faint sparks of thy hearth ever glowing; 
Not a pale bud from thy full roses blowing— 

But give, as He gives thee, who gave thee to live ! 



I 



MAY 5. 



133 



Use this luorld as not abusing it. — 1 Cok. vii. 31. 
AO I bear in mind that if I fail to use the world, 



I J as Gocl commands, to his honor and glory, then 
I abuse it; and for this he will soon call me into judg- 
ment ? Is it not abusing the world, making a wrong 
use of it, if I allow it to be the master instead of the 
servant — if I give it the place in my heart that should 
be kept sacred for Gocl alone? Do I not abuse the 
world, if I fix my affections on it, or if I live in it as 
if there were no world beyond ? 



The world is good in its place. To possess it, may 
not be injurious ; to be possessed by it, is destructive 
alike to character, to happiness, and to the soul. * 

As you care for your soul, beware of the world ! It 
has slain its thousands and tens of thousands. Achan, 
Hainan, Ananias, Sapphira, Demas and Judas, all were 
ruined by it. Beware lest it ruin you ! What shall it 
profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his 
own soul ? * 

True rest consists not in the oft revving 

Of worldly dross; 
Earth's miry purchase is not worth the buying ; 

Her gain is loss ; 
Her rest but giddy toil, if not relying 

Upon the cross. 
Her worldlings droil for trouble ! That fond heart, 

Which is possest 
Of earth without a cross, hath earth without a rest! 

— Quarles. 




134 



MAY 6. 



Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. — Ps. xxiii. 4. 

IX all the trials of life, do I find support and com- 
fort in leaning on the Lord ? And looking forward 
to the valley of the shadow of death, do I trust my- 
self fully to his care, ivho has promised to be with me 
then ? In every time of need do I lean on the staff 
which never pierces the hand it supports, and never 
fails those that rest upon it ? Thus is my soul con- 
tinually restored and upheld, and am 1 led in paths 
of righteousness for Christ's sake ? 



There is no Christian who does not, at some time, 
have a Gethsemane : but every praying Christian will 
find that there is no Gethsemane without its angel to 
strengthen him, as Christ was strengthened in the hour 
of his need. — T. Binney. 

The discipline of our heavenly Father often cuts 
below the graft of self-love and earthly-mindedness, 
that he may remove all that hinders us bearing rich 
fruit for him : and though sharp is the discipline, we 
have reason to be thankful for it in the end. 



And if his hand, in mercy, bent 

The reeds on which I fondly leant, 

And plucked my life flowers, 'twas to show, 

I must not place my love below ; 

While with each cross a hope was given, 

Which stronger, brighter, beamed for heaven ; 

And his own staff I found my stay, 

And comfort in my pilgrim way. 



MAY 7. 



135 



In the morning will I direct my 'prayer unto thee, 
and will look up. — Ps. v. 3. 

ARE my first waking thoughts given to God ? Do 
I feel the need each morning of prayer, that I 
may be prepared for the many dangers and trials and 
temptations and duties of the day? Do I pray for 
wisdom, for guidance, for the constant presence and 
influence of God's Spirit ; for thankfulness, if my pray- 
ers are answered ; for submission, if they are denied ; 
for patience in waiting, if they are deferred? Do I 
look up, and look out, for an answer from on high ? 



Christ often heareth, when he doth not at once an- 
swer. His not answering, is an answer; for it says, 
Pray on, go on, cry on, for the Lord holdeth the door 
fast bolted, not to keep you out, but that you may 
knock, and it shall be opened. — Rutheefoed. 

When the dawn begins to break, and the first ray 
of sunshine appears, let the day have a blessed bap- 
tism by giving your first waking thoughts to God. 
Thank him that you have been kept through the 
night. Commit yourself to him for the day. Ask 
him to be with you through it all. The first hour 
of the morning is the rudder of the entire day. 



"When thine eyes first unveil, give thy soul leave 
To do the like. Our bodies but forerun 

The spirit's duty. True hearts spread and heave 
Unto their God, as flowers do to the sun. 

Give him thy first thoughts then, so shalt thou keep 

His company all day, and in him safely sleep. 

— Vaughan. 



136 



MA Y 8. 



At evening time it shall be light. — Zech. xiv. 7. 

DOES the blessed assurance that trouble shall have 
an end, give me comfort ? "When I am impatient 
under it, is it not better to think of Christ's sufferings, 
and his perfect submission under them all, than to dwell 
on my own ? Has not God promised that all things shall 
work together for good to his children? And is not the 
discipline of sorrow intended to bring me so near to the 
Saviour, that the light of his countenance shall shine 

brightly upon me ? 

"Why should I murmur?" said Henry Marty n, in 
his last sickness, " weakness, peril and pain are but 
ministering angels who are conducting me to glory." 
The best have hours of trial and darkness, but their 
tears like the rain-drops when shot through by sun- 
beams, do but throw the bow of promise on the clouds, 
and declare that the storm is passing away, and that 
God's mercy shall never cease. * 

The cloud which appeared to Ezekiel, though it car- 
ried winds and storms, was environed with a golden 
circle, to teach that the storms of affliction which hap- 
pen to God's children, are encompassed with bright- 
ness and smiling joy in the end. — Catjssin. 

Break through the brambles and thorns that beset thee ; 

Dread not the gloom and the blackness of night; 
Lean on the Hand that will safely conduct thee; 

Trust to his eyes to whom darkness is light. 
Clouds are not substance ; then fear not their darkness. 

When their gloom gathers, the light from above 
Gleams out in brightness, in safety to guide thee, 

While resting in hope on God's infinite love. 



MAY 9. 



137 



Unite my heart to fear thy name. — Ps. lxxxvi. 11. 

AM I sincere, upright, earnest in religion? Are 
all my powers unit eel in seeking to know, and 
endeavoring to do, God's will? Or are my affections 
divided and prone to wander, so that too often I sit 
loose to the things of eternity, and close to the things 
of time and sense? Do I feel the need of constant 
grace to unite my heart to the Saviour, so that I may 
love him with all my soul, and serve him with all my 
powers, feeling that all are but too little to praise and 
honor him ? 



My God, how often have I, in conversing with thee, 
been like one asleep and unconscious of what he is 
saying ! Mercifully forgive me for this, and associate 
henceforth thy Spirit with my spirit, that my prayer 
may be as devout and earnest as thy greatness and 
my necessities require. — Gotthold. 

The faithful, devoted Christian is all-hearteclness. 
While others do things coldly and without interest, 
he puts his whole soul into his labor, and does it 
with hearty goodwill and with a vigorous hearty 
healthy zeal, because he loves to do it. — Merry. 



0 Lord, thy heavenly grace impart, 
And fix my frail inconstant heart. 
Henceforth my chief desire shall be 
To dedicate myself to thee — 
To thee, my God, to thee ! 



138 



MA Y 10. 



Trust in him at all times. — Ps. lxii. 8. 

IS my trust in God at all times firm and unshaken 
— as much so in times of darkness and trouble 
as in times of light and peace ? If not, why ? Do I 
look to self, rather than to him ? Contrasting present 
darkness with past sunshine, am I wondering why God 
permits the former, instead of feeling thankful for what 
he still gives me of the latter, and like a loving child 
leaving all with him, content to trust where I cannot 
see? 



Put your confidence in God. Believe every thing 
that he says in his word. Whether you understand 
it or not, have faith in him that he means your good. 
— Cecil. 

To trust God when we have securities in our own 
iron chest, is easy, and not thankworthy. But to de- 
pend on him for what we cannot see, as it is more hard 
for us to do, so it is more acceptable to God when done, 
for in that we make confession of his deity. — Feltham. 



Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, 

But trust him for his grace ; 
Behind a frowning Providence, 

He hides a smiling face. 
Blind unbelief is sure to err, 

And scan his work in vain ; 
God is his own interpreter, 

And he will make it plain. 

— Cowpee.. 



MA Y 11. 



139 



Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine 
iniquities. — Ps. li. 9. 

~| TAVE I, in sincere penitence, forsaken the sins 



for which I ask God's forgiveness? Is the 
remembrance of them grievous to me? Is it my 
earnest prayer that I may be pardoned for them, for 
Christ's sake, and cleansed from them in his atoning 
blood ? Trusting in him, by faith, do I take to myself 
the comfort of pardon, and endeavor, by the aid of his 
Spirit, so to live as to find for myself, and give to 
others, the evidence that I am forgiven? 

Repentance begins in humiliation of heart, and ends 
in reformation of the life. He that cries to have sin 
taken away, confesses that it lies upon him, and pleads 
for pardon and acceptance through him whose blood 
cleanseth from all sin. He that sincerely asks forgive- 
ness will earnestly strive for holiness. He will look 
to Christ, not only for justification, but also for sane- 
tification. . * 

Thou who art merciful, as well as just, 
Incline thine ear to me, a child of dust ! 
Not what I would, 0 Lord, I offer thee, 

Alas ! but what I can, 

As but a sinful man. 
Accept then, I entreat, my humble prayer. 
Four things which are not in thy treasury 
I lay before thee, Lord, with this petition — 



My sins, and my contrition ; 
Oh ! meet my needs for all, from thy rich mercy free ! 




My nothingness, my wants, 



— Southey. 



140 



MA Y 12. 



Thou wilt show me the path of life. — Ps. xvi. 11. 

HAVE I committed myself, with all my interests, 
for time and eternity, into the hands of God 
through Christ Jesus ? Do I look to him for pardon 
and acceptance, and for light to guide me in the way 
to heaven ? Do I remember that if I make his glory 
my chief aim, he will make both my present and 
future happiness his constant care ? And do I always 
endeavor to feel that the path by which he is leading 
me is the one that will best conduct me to the heavenly 
rest? 



What we want in religion is not new light, but new 
sight ; not new paths, but new zeal to walk in the old 
paths ; not new duties, but new strength from on high 
to fulfill those that are plain before us. * 

God would not suffer his people to be tempted, if 
his grace were not sufficient for them, not only to 
save them from harm, but also to make them gainers 
b}^ it, so that in the end it shall work for their highest 
good. — M. Heney. 



Thrice happy world, where idle, gilded toys 
No more disturb our thoughts or mar our joys. 
There reigns the eternal sun, with an unclouded ray ; 
There all is calm as night, yet all immortal day ; 
There light and shade no more succeed by turns, 
But truth for ever shines, and love for ever burns. 



MA Y 13. 



141 



The Lord is my 'portion, saith my soul; therefore 
will I hope in him. — Lam. iii. 24. 

IS my faith such as gives me the comfort of a well- 
founded hope in Christ as my portion ? Is he my 
resting-place in the midst of the world's storms and 
tempests, and the portion of my soul for ever? Do 
I rejoice in the comfort of this assurance? Does it 
strengthen me for duty, support me in trial, cheer me 
in the hour of despondency, and point me continually 
to the great recompense of reward in heaven ? 



Faith and hope, though, distinct, are vitally united. 
They come from the same source, are sustained by the 
same evidence, are exercised on the same realities. 
Faith is the perceiving ; hope the anticipating faculty. 
Faith sees heaven opened ; hope says you are on your 
way to it. Faith comes by hearing ; hope by experi- 
ence. Faith has respect to the truth of the word; 
hope to its fulfillment. Faith looks to doctrine and 
promise : hope to reward. Faith is founded on what 
is in the Bible ; hope on what is in heaven ! — Stan- 

FOKD. 



The heart that trusts for ever sings, 
And feels as light as it had wings ; 
A well of peace within it springs. 

Come good or ill, 
Whate'er to-day or morrow brings, 

It is His will ; 
And so the soul in hope rejoices still. 



142 



MA Y 14. 



Abide with us. — Luke xxiv. 29. 
BOVE all things, do I desire that God should 



heart may be made a habitation fit for the indwelling 
of the Holy One ? Do I endeavor to avoid sin, to shun 
the very appearance of evil, to seek spirituality of 
thought and feeling, that I may not grieve him from 
my soul? Is the door of my heart always open for 
Christ? Does my desire for his presence and love 
surpass all other considerations? 



Christ is always with his people, if by faith they 
keep near to him. He is with them to counsel in 
difficulty, to strengthen in weakness, to comfort in 
sorrow, to guide in duty, to deliver in danger, to 
crown them with everlasting life in the very article 
of death. Thanks be to God for a union so unspeak- 
ably blessed. * 

Our happiness is secured in One who was not only 
a Teacher in the past, and a Guide to generations that 
are gone, but who is for all his people, and in all ages, 
a living Saviour and an ever-present Friend. 

Abide with me ! fast falls the eventide ; 
The darkness thickens ; Lord, with me abide ! 
When other helpers fail, and comforts flee, 
Help of the he]pless, oh abide with me ! 
Swift to its close, ebbs out life's little day ; 
Earth's joys decline, its glories pass away; 
Change and decay in all around I see ! 
0 thou who changest not, abide with me ! 




constantly? Do I pray that my 



— H. F. Lyte. 



MA Y 15. 



143 



I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. — Heb. xiii. 5 

IN all times of perplexity, or doubt, or fear — in the 
hour of deep affliction and trial, do I keep in mind 
this blessed promise? Do not all God's mercies in the 
past, as well as all his pledges for the future, give full 
ground for the assurance that he will provide for the 
present ? And in this confidence may not my soul be 
at rest? Is it my constant prayer, that I may more 
and more trust his providence to provide for all my 

need ? 

Those who are the subjects of Christ's love, he will 
never leave. For he pardoned them when they were 
enemies, and he will not leave them now they are his 
friends. — Chabnock. 

When God has said, " Fear not, for I am with thee ; 
be not dismayed, for I am thy God : I will strengthen 
thee ; yea, I will help thee ; yea, I will uphold thee 
with the right hand of my righteousness/' what more 
can you need? If a man cannot bear his whole 
weight on a promise like this, then what can support 
him ? The everlasting rocks would be insufficient. 
Lay it up, then, among your choicest treasures. Hide 
it in your heart. Rest upon it with unwavering 
faith. Call it to your aid in every emergency ; and 
you shall find it more precious than gold ; yea, than 

much fine gold. — * 

Dost thou ask when comes his hour ? 

'Tis when he can aid thee best ; 
Trust his faithfulness and power, 

Trust in him, and quiet rest. 
Suffer, hope, and calmly wait ; 
Jesus never comes too late ! 



144 



MA Y 16. 



Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon 
us. — Ps. iv. 6. 

ABOVE all things do I desire the favor of God, 
and that I may live in the light of his coun- 
tenance ? Do I pray that I may be one with him, so 
that his perfect peace shall keep me continually ? Do 
I endeavor so to live as to honor him ? Is it my 
chief desire, and earnest prayer, that my soul may be 
filled with his divine light, and that I may know, in 
my own experience, what it is to enjoy constantly 
the light of his favor, and the indwelling of his Holy 
Spirit? 

Lord, let there be light, and I shall see light. I shall 
see the way and not wander; the truth, and shun 
error; life, and escape death. — Quaeles. 

There are no joys like those which the gospel im- 
parts ; none so solid, so exquisite, so heartrefining, so 
enduring. The false pleasures of the world, its be- 
wildering excitements, its intoxicating gayeties, its 
lying vanities — all are but a cheat upon the senses, 
that leaves their deluded votaries in deeper gloom. 
It belongs to the glorious gospel alone to afford 
substantial and enduring joy. — Beock. 



Great God ! thou art the flowing spring of light ; 

Enrich mine eyes with thy refulgent ray : 
Thou art my guide, direct my steps aright ; 

I have no other light, no other way. 
I'll trust my God, and him alone pursue ; 
His law shall be my path ; his heavenly light my clue. 

— Quaeles. 



MA Y 17. 



145 



Blessed is the man that endureth temptation. — ■ 
James i. 12. 

CAN I justly lay claim to the blessing promised 
to those who endure as well as suffer? With 
patience and constancy, do I resist alike the covert 
allurement, and the open and bold temptation ? Do 
I remember that the tried Christian shall be the one 
crowned ; and that the cross is but for a little while, 
but the crown is eternal ? Is the love of Christ so 
strong in my heart as to give the victory over every 
temptation ? _____ 

0 Lord, give me strength of resolution ; and when 
I know a thing is wrong, help me to have done 
with it ; and when I see it is right, help me to make 
haste, and delay not to keep thy commandments. — 
Spubgeon. 

As the sentinel, when he sees the enemies approach- 
ing, does not attempt himself to assail them, but at 
once gives the alarm to the commander that he may 
repel their attack, so the Christian does not attempt 
in his own strength to fight temptation, but finds his 
safety in perceiving its approach, and seeking by 
prayer for divine help to overcome it. — J. Mason. 



Still near me, 0 my Saviour, stand, 
And guard in fierce temptation's hour ; 

Hide in the hollow of thine hand ; 
Show forth in me thy saving power ; 

Still be thine arm my sure defence, 

Nor earth, nor hell shall pluck me thence ! 
10 



146 



MA Y 18. 



Choose you this day whom ye will serve. — Josh. 
xxiv. 15. 

~] TAVE I made religion my serious and deliberate 



never be taken away ? Does the fact of having to 
take up the cross daily, make the thought of religion 
unpleasant to me ? And if so, can I expect a heavenly 
crown ? Ought I to hesitate a moment between the 
things of time and those of eternity ? Do I pray for 
grace and strength to make the right choice while it 
is called to-day ? 



Let us resolve upon a life of serious godliness, not 
merely because we know no other way, but because 
upon search we can find no better. — Matthew Henry. 

If we make religion our business, God will make it 
our blessedness. — Adam. 

How dangerous to defer the momentous reformation 
which conscience is solemnly pressing on the heart. 
If neglected, the difficulty and indisposition increase 
every day. The mind is receding, degree after degree, 
from the warm and hopeful zone ; till at last it will 
enter the arctic circle, and become fixed in relentless 
and eternal ice. — John Foster. 



'Tis not for man to trifle ; life is brief, 

And sin is here — 
Our age is but the falling of a leaf, 

A dropping tear. 
We have not time to sport away the hours ; 
All must be earnest in a world like ours. 




Is mine that better part that can 



MA Y 19. 



147 



Casting all your care upon him ; for he careth for 
you. — 1 Pet. v. 7. 

T~\0 I endeavor, habitually, to obey this command 



JL^J of love, and cast all my care on the Lord? Or 
do I allow needless anxiety ; and fear the possible 
troubles of the future, which may never come ; and 
brood over the little worries of life till I nurse them 
into great ones? And if so, is not this a practical 
distrust of God's providence, and a practical disbelief 
of his ability and willingness to care for me ? Do I 
ask for grace and faith, in this, as in all things, to be 
enabled to take God at his word? 

He that will watch providences, will never want 
providences to watch ; and he that will trust Provi- 
dence will find he has a richer and surer inheritance 
than all the world can give. * 

We do not avail ourselves of the riches of God's 
grace. We love to nurse our cares, and seem uneasy 
without them. We are commanded to cast them on 
the Lord; but even when we attempt it, we too often 
take them up again, as if there were a kind of merit 
in being burdened. We are like travelers who receive 
the divinely offered pass to heaven, and then take up 
our baggage upon our own shoulders, and toil on in 
the way afoot. 

Who would be God's, must trust, not see ; 

Not murmur, fear, demand ; 
Most wholly by him guided be, 

Led by his loving hand ; 
Must turn where'er he leads, nor say, 
I wonder where he leads the way. 




148 



MA Y m 



Acquaint noiv thyself with Mm, and be at peace. — 
Job xxii. 21. 

"T^vO I realize that there is no true, and abiding, 



JLy and satisfying peace bnt that which comes from 
knowing God, and being reconciled to him through 
Christ? Am I seeking peace from any other source 
— from the riches, or honors, or pleasures of the world ? 
Or if, being justified by faith, I have peace with God, 
am I striving to increase it by living near to him ? 
By hearkening to his commandments, do I find my 
peace is like a river, growing broader, wider, deeper, 
continually ? 

Peace is that great calm which comes over the con- 
science when it sees the atonement sufficient and the 
Saviour willing. It is the soul which Christ hath 
pacified, spread out in the serenity of simple faith, 
a-\d the Lord God, merciful and gracious, smiling 
■ - er it. — J. Hamilton. 



I do not ask, 0 Lord ! that thou shouldst shed 

Full radiance here : 
Give but a way of peace, that I may tread 

Without a fear. 
I do not ask my cross to understand, 

My way to see ; 
Better in darkness just to feel thy hand, 

And follow thee. 
Joy is like restless day ; but peace divine 

Like quiet night. 
Lead me, 0 Lord ! till perfect day shall shine 

Through peace to light. — Procter. 




MA Y 21. 



149 



Fear not; believe only. — Luke viii. 50. 

IF at any time I have doubts or fears as to my 
acceptance with God, why is it? Am I not look- 
ing too much to self, and too little to Christ ; too much 
to my sinfulness, and too little to his mercy ; too much 
to the evil, and too little to the remedy provided ? Do 
I remember that all I can do or suffer will not atone 
for sin ? And renouncing everything like self-depend- 
ence, do I believe only on Christ, and so find peace to 
my soul ? 



I must never think my sins too great, too aggravated, 
too presumptuous to hinder me from fleeing to Christ. 
Their weight should rather act like the weight of a 
clock — the heavier it is, the faster it goes. — McCheyne. 

The soul is the life of the body ; faith is the life of 
the soul; Christ is the life of faith. — Flavel. 

Unbelief may, perhaps, tear the copies of the cove- 
nant of Christ, but he still keeps the original with him 
in heaven. Your doubts and fears are no part of that 
covenant ; neither can they change Christ. — Kuther- 
foed. 



It is not that I feel less weak ; but Thou 
Wilt be my strength. It is not that I see 
Less sin; but more of pardoning love in thee, 
And all-sufficient grace. Enough ! And now 
All fluttering thought is stilled ; I only rest, 
And feel that thou art near, and know that I am blest ! 



150 



MA Y 22. 



The Lord is my Shepherd ; I shall not want. — 
Ps. xxiii. 1. 



0 I belong to the fold of Christ ? And as one 



I J of his flock, am I obedient, quiet, gentle, willing 
to hear his voice, and to be led by him ? And as he 
is my Shepherd, do I trust him for all that I need ; 
and know that if anything is withheld, it is from his 
wisdom, and for my good ? Do I take the comfort here 
given to all who are followers of Christ, that he is all- 
sufficient for their wants and difficulties, and no good 
thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly ? 



He who follows Christ, follows One from whom light 
streams upon the road before us — showing all its turn- 
ings and windings, and enabling us to walk safely, 
surely, and cheerfully, to the end. — Payson. 

Christianity did not come from heaven to be the 
amusement of an idle hour, or the food of mere im- 
agination. No ; it is intended to be the guide and 
guardian and companion of all our hours; the food 
of our immortal spirits; the serious occupation of 
our entire existence. — Bishop Jebb. 



Father, I know that all my life 

Is portioned out for me ; 
And the changes that are sure to come, 

I do not fear to see ; 
I only ask for an humble mind, 

Intent on pleasing thee. 




— A. L. Waeing. 



MA Y 23. 



151 



Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go for- 
ward. — Ex. xiv. 15. 

HAVE I taken the first step in the divine life ? 
If so, am I making progress in it ; advancing 
in the knowledge of truth, and in the faithful perform- 
ance of duty ? Is sin more and more crucified ; my 
heart's idols one by one abolished ; the world less, and 
eternity more to me ? Is Christ's image daily more 
impressed on my character, and his love more en- 
throned in my heart ? If faint, am I pursuing ? And 
if pursuing, is it in the power of his might ? 



There is no standing still in the life of faith. No 
grace will bring thee to heaven without perseverance : 
not faith, if it be faint and frail ; not love, if it de- 
cline and wax cold ; not humility, if it continue not ; 
not obedience, not repentance, not patience, no, nor 
any other grace, except they have their perfect work. 
It is not enough to begin well, except we end well. — 
T. Brooks. 



Haste thee on from grace to glory, 

Armed with faith, and winged with prayer ; 
Heaven's eternal day before thee ; 

God's own hand shall guide thee there. 
Soon shall close thine earthly mission ; 

Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days ; 
Hope shall change to glad fruition, 

Faith to sight, and prayer to praise ! 

— Montgomery. 



152 



MA Y 24. 



What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the 
whole world, and lose his own soul ? — Mark viii. 36. 

DO I remember that though God designs us to 
find comfort and pleasure in the gifts of his 
hand, yet he never means us to seek our highest 
happiness in them? Do I feel that they are but 
means to an end ; and that end, our preparation for 
an endless existence ? And that if allowed to wean 
our souls from God and his service, then they become 
sin to us? Is it my earnest prayer, that though in 
the world, I may not be of it, but that my heart may 
be fixed supremely on God ? 

The whole material universe, the heavens and earth, 
are not equal in value to a single soul ; for the soul is 
immortal, and has capacities for knowledge, virtue, and 
happiness, which only God can fill. — Grove. 

The poorest Christian who lives in Christ and walks 
in daily fellowship with God, is happier than the rich- 
est votary of the world. Indeed, such only are happy. 
There is no solid wisdom, no well-founded hope, no 
true happiness, but in real piety. — Evelyn. 



What is the thing of greatest price, 

The whole creation round ? 
That which was lost in paradise ; 

That which in Christ is found. 
The soul of man, — Jehovah's breath, 

That keeps two worlds at strife ; 
Hell moves beneath to work its death ; 

Heaven stoops to give it life ! 

— Montgomery. 



MA Y 25. 



153 



80 teach us to number our days, that we may apply 
our hearts unto wisdom. — Ps. xc. 12. 

DO I constantly keep in view the uncertainty of 
life, and how short a time at longest I have to 
live in the world ? And do I endeavor so to number 
my days ; as wisely to compare with them the work God 
has given me to do, that I may be stimulated to dil- 
igence, as one that has not long to live ? Do I pray 
for divine aid in this numbering, that it may be blessed 
to my own highest wisdom and good, and so to the 
good of others ? 



Lost wealth may be replaced by industry ; lost 
health, regained by temperance ; lost knowledge, re- 
stored by study ; and even lost reputation won back 
by penitence and virtue. But who ever looked on 
his departed hours, or recalled his slighted years, and 
stamped them with wisdom, or effaced from heaven's 
record the fearful blot of wasted time? — L. H. Si- 
gourney. 

Why do we heap huge mounds of years before us 
and behind, 

And scorn the little days that pass, like angels on the 
wind? 

Each turning round a small, sweet face, as beautiful as 
near, 

Because it is so small a face we will not see it clear ; 
And so it turns from us and goes away in sad dis- 
dain ; 

Though we could give our lives for it, it never comes 
again — Craik. 



154 



MAY 26. 



Repent, and turn to God, and do works meet for 
repentance. — Acts xxvi. 20. 

TTAYE I sincerely repented of sin? And now, 



J L in my daily life, do I endeavor to do works 

meet for repentance ? In humility, in faith, and with 
constant prayer, am I seeking to do the will of my 
Father in heaven, remembering that as the body 
without the spirit is dead, so faith, without works, 
is dead also ? Do I bear in mind that it is not enough 
to profess to know God, unless in works I do not deny 
him ? As the evidence for myself, and as an example 
to others, do I endeavor to show my faith in Christ 
by works of obedience for him ? 



If you would be good, be diligent in doing good. 
The exercise of grace increases it. * 

Ever be occupied with some direct effort to do 
good, and be ambitious of doing it for Christ's sake. 
Seek to leave the world better for your sojourn in it. 
Whatever you attempt, do it in humble dependence on 
the Holy Spirit, and endeavor to do it so thoroughly, 
and to follow it up so resolutely, that the result shall 
be evident as well as good. — J. Hamilton. 



Labor is sweet, for thou hast toiled ; 

And care is sweet, for thou hast cared. 
Ah, never let our works be soiled 

With strife, or by deceit ensnared. 
Through life's long day, and death's dark night, 
0 gentle Jesus, be our light. — Fabee. 




MA Y 27. 



155 



Enter into thy closet ; and when thou hast shut thy 
door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy 
Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 
■ — Matt. vL 6, 

DO I prize the privilege, of secret prayer in the 
closet? Where no human eye can see, and no 
human ear can hear, there do I rejoice to pour out my 
heart before God, acknowledging every weakness, con- 
fessing every error, and asking the special grace that 
I feel I specially need ? Every sin do I bring to him 
for pardon ; every weakness, for strength ; every sorrow, 
for comfort ; every trial, for support ; and every per- 
plexity and difficulty and doubt, for light and guidance 
and direction ? Here do I seek all that I need, for time 
and eternity ? 

I must be often in the closet. God enjoins it. My 
special necessities demand it. I must do it that I may 
grow in grace and may not decline in spirituality and 
wander from God. It is a solemn duty, a glorious 
and blessed privilege, thus to commune with God ; to 
breathe his Spirit, and receive the impress of his image 
upon my heart. Oh, may I ever prize, and seek to im- 
prove it. By divine grace I will, till I am raised from 
prayer on earth to endless praise in heaven. * 

Go with pure mind and feeling, 

Fling earthly thoughts away, 
And in thy chamber kneeling, 

In secret often pray. 
And he whose voice doth call thee there, 
Shall hear and answer all thy prayer. 

— Lord Mokpeth. 



156 



MA Y 28. 



The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from 
all sin. — 1 John i. 7. 

"T FA YE I come to the fountain that is opened for 



J L sin and all uncleanness and washed my soul in 

its purifying flood? Do I feel that I am a sinner, con- 
demned and lost for ever, unless the precious blood 
of Christ is sprinkled on my soul ? Have I seen and 
confessed my guilt, and found forgiveness? Have I 
realized and mourned my sinfulness, and been cleansed 
from its pollution by that blood which takes away the 
stain, as well as the power of sin ? 



All the blessings of salvation came through the 
precious blood of Christ. If we have redemption, it 
is through his blood. If we are justified, it is by 
his blood. If we are washed from our moral stains, 
it is by the cleansing of his blood. If we have the 
victory over death, it is by the same blood. If at last 
we enter heaven, it is because we have washed our 
robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 
Everything depends on the blood of Christ, and with- 
out it there is no remission. — E. Newtox. 



Christ himself thy sins hath borne ; 
Weeping soul, no longer mourn. 
View him bleeding on the tree, 
Pouring out his life for thee ; 
There thy every sin he bore ; 
Weeping soul, lament no more ; 
Fix thy hopes on him who died ; 
In his work be satisfied ! 




MA Y 29. 



157 



Let us draiv near with a true heart, in full assur- 
ance of faith. — Heb. x. 22. 

"VTOW that the way of access to God has been 



_JJN opened by Christ, have I come to him by faith, 
so as to claim his offer of acceptance ? Do I come to 
him with a true heart, and with sincere desires for a 
holy life ? Has my faith grown to the full persuasion 
that I am forgiven and accepted through the merits of 
Christ ? Have I that clear assurance of faith, which, 
taking the Saviour at his word, finds comfort and 
peace in his promises? 



If you have not the faith of assurance, practice at 
least the faith of adherence. That, surely, is in your 
power. Cleave to God exactly as if you were certain 
of being accepted of him at last ; and thus fulfilling 
his own conditions, you will be accepted of him, whether 
you are assured of it beforehand or not. 

I would not give one straw for that assurance which 
sin will not damp. If David had come to me in his 
adultery and talked of his assurance, I should have 
despised his speech. — John Newton. 



Be trustful, be steadfast, whatever betide thee ; 

Only one thing do thou ask of the Lord; 
Grace to go forward whatever betide thee, 

Simply believing the truth of his word. 
Thus shall you walk in the light of his love ; 
Thus be assured of your treasure above ! 




158 



MA Y 30. 



Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is 
stayed on thee. — Isa. xxvi. 3. 

IN all the pressing duties and trying uncertainties 
and perplexities of life, do I trust myself entirely 
to my heavenly Father, and cast all my cares on him ? 
Knowing his wisdom and goodness, and that he cares 
for every one of his children, am I satisfied with his 
guidance ? Do I find peace in the thought that 
he is on the throne ; and that by two immutable 
things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, I 
may always have strong consolation, if I have made 
him my refuge and my hope ? 



All experience shows that peace, composure of mind, 
and quiet or joyous hope, all come from a trusting 
submission to the divine will : a submission that says 
from the heart, "Thy will be done;" a submission 
that disposes one to do or bear, cheerfully, whatever 
God may appoint. A soul that has attained to this 
state, though it may still be clogged with many in- 
firmities, has attained to the highest peace of earth 
and of heaven. — E. Peabody. 



There are briars besetting earth's every path, 

And calling for patient care ; 
And a cross there is, often, in every lot, 

And an earnest need for prayer. 
But a lowly heart that leans on God, 

Is happy everywhere. 



MAY 31. 



159 



Not slothful in business ; fervent in spirit ; serving 
the Lord. — Kom. xii. 11. 
I \0 I bear in mind that the common business of 



1 J life, as well as its devotional duties, is meant to 
be a means of grace to me ? Into all my business, do 
I carry the spirit of religion ? And in all my religion 
am I as diligent and earnest as in the most important 
business? In both do I aim faithfully to serve the 
Lord? Do I sanctify all my occupations and employ- 
ments by engaging in them as for Christ, and that I 
may act as his good and faithful servant ? 



Remember that the life of man is only to be valued 
for its usefulness. — Bishop Wilson. 

All the cares, anxieties, duties and toils of life, so 
far from being hindrances to grace, are designed to be, 
and to a right spirit are but the means of its develop- 
ment and growth. The pulpit may teach the way of 
duty, but life is the school in which we are taught to 
practice it. Every duty is a call to Christian effort; 
every trial, a summons to patience and submission, and 
the whole of life but a training school for eternity. * 



All may of Thee partake, 

Nothing so small may be, 
But draws, when acted for thy sake, 

Greatness and worth from thee ; 
If done beneath thy laws, 

E ; en servile labors shine ; 
Hallowed all toil, if this the cause, 

The meanest work, divine. 




— George Herbert. 



160 



JUNE 1. 



Power belong eth unto God. — Ps. lxii. 11. 

DO I rejoice to ascribe power to God, and to feel 
that he is almighty, both as the Sovereign of the 
universe, and as the God of grace ? Is not his power a 
sufficient reason why I should trust him, and feel my 
dependence on him, and ask his aid in every difficulty, 
knowing that he is willing as well as able to do all 
things for the good of them that love and trust him? 



All things and beings, all that life makes known or 
death conceals, everything within the boundless possi- 
bilities of creating wisdom and power, is mine, for God, 
the almighty Creator and Fountain of all, is mine. — 
J. Caird. 

We need keeping, for we are weak, wayward, and 
prone to wander. God will have us kept, and kept 
surely : and so he keeps us himself. With his everlast- 
ing arms beneath me, I am for ever safe. — J. Smith. 

Let us heartily rejoice in the Strength of our salva- 
tion, and go boldly in the way of his laws, and seek 
safety under the shadow of his wing. And let us put 
our cause into the hand of that great Advocate, who 
is able to save to the uttermost all that come to him. 



And can the almighty King 

Of glory condescend? 
And will he write his name, 

My Father and my Friend ? 
I love his name : I love his word ; 
Join all my powers to serve the Lord. 

— AVatts. 



JUNE 2. 



161 



If y e love me, keep my commandments. — John xiv. 15. 
~T~~\0 I, indeed, love Christ? Does my love to him 



I J show itself in constant obedience to his com- 
mands? When duties press, and difficulties gather 
in the way, am I more anxious to be faithful to the 
duties than to know what events may be ? Do I find 
my comfort in the way of obedience to the Saviour? 
If I expect the support and comfort of the Spirit, must 
I not follow the leadings of the Spirit? 



It is but a small thing to see Christ in a book, as 
men see the world on a map. But to come near to 
Christ ; to love him ; to embrace him ; to obey him, is 
quite another thing. — Kutheeford. 

When Demosthenes was asked what was the first 
part of an orator, what the second, and what the third, 
each time he replied, " Action/' So if any one ask 
me what is the first, second, and third thing in a Chris- 
tian, I would answer " Obedience." Luther says he 
would rather obey than work miracles ; and God says, 
obedience is better than sacrifice. — T. Brooks. 



Lay upon me Thy commands, 
Fill my heart, employ my hands ; 
Let me on thine errands run, 
Till the work of life is done. 
Living thus to worship thee, 
Death shall prove new life to me, 
Where, with all the conflict o'er, 
Rest remaineth evermore. 




11 



162 



JUNE 3. 



Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry. — Eccl. vii. 9. 

DO I endeavor at all times to govern my temper 
with wisdom and grace, seeking with earnest- 
prayer, to repress the first rising of evil feeling or 
passion in my heart? In thought, word and deed, 
do I cultivate the habit of self-control, remembering 
that better is he that ruleth his spirit than he that 
taketh a city ? If provoked and tempted to give way 
to anger, do I remember the blessed Saviour, who 
when he was reviled, reviled not again *? In all things, 
do I seek to cherish his spirit ? 



I will suffer a thousand wrongs, rather than offer 
one, and an hundred rather than return one. I have 
ever found that to strive with my superior is fatuous ; 
with my equal, doubtful : with my inferior, sordid and 
base ; with any, full of unquietness. — Bishop Hall. 

I am naturally as impatient and irritable as any. but 
when I find anger, or passion, or any other evil temper 
arise in my mind, I go at once to my Saviour, and con- 
fessing my sin. give myself up to be managed and con- 
trolled by him. — Clarke. 



Cherish kindly, loving feelings, 

While you here on earth may stay; 
They will scatter light and sunshine, 

On your own and others' way ; 
They will make life's pathway brighter, 

All around you they will bless, 
And o'er every lot and station 

Pour fresh streams of happiness. 

— Kidder, 



JUNE 4. 



163 



I give myself unto prayer. — Ps. cix. 4. 

DO I love communion with God in prayer, count- 
ing it alike a joy and a duty ? Am I as earnest 
in praying for spiritual blessings, as I am in seeking 
temporal advantages ? Not only in perplexities and 
troubles, but in all the affairs of life, do I go habit- 
ually, for guidance and help, to the throne of grace? 
Do I expect an answer, though it may not be as I 
would desire, or in the way I might think best ? 

The body of our prayer is the sum of our duty ; and 
as we must ask of God whatsoever we need, so we 
must labor for all that we ask. Every petition to God 
is a rule for our life — a precept for our conduct — a per- 
petual monition to duty. By what we require of God, 
we see what he requires of us. — Jeremy Taylor. 

He that knows how to pray, has the secret of safety 
in prosperity, and of support in trouble ; the art of 
overcoming every enemy, and of turning every loss 
into a gain ; the power of soothing every care ; of 
subduing every passion ; and of adding a relish to 
every enjoymeDt. The merchandise of it is better 
than the merchandise of silver, and the gain there- 
of than fine gold. — W. Jay. 

Hast thou a 'hope from which thy heart 
Would almost feel it death to part? 
Entreat thy God that hope to crown, 
Or give thee strength to lay it down. 
Whatever the care that breaks thy rest, 
Whate'er the wish that swells thy breast, 
Take to thy God that wish, that care, 
And change anxiety to prayer 1 



164 



JUNE 5. 



Hope maheth not ashamed. — Rom. v. 5. 
HY should I be ashamed of my hope in Christ, 
as the only and all-sufficient Saviour, and as 
my Saviour? Is there not every reason, rather, to 
glory in the hope, and in him who is its everlasting 
foundation ? Amid all the changes and uncertainties 
— the sins and sorrows of life, is it not a matter of 
thankfulness, and joy, and triumph, that I have a 
hope which is an anchor to the soul, and which has 
the promise of the life that now is, and also of that 
which is to come ? 



Experience of God is a prop to our hope. He that 
hath delivered, doth and will. Experience of our- 
selves helps to evidence our sincerity. — M. Henry. 

I have such a hope that with it I can calmly plunge 
into eternity. — A. Fuller. 

Hope takes fast hold of heaven itself. It is like the 
morning light ; the least beam of it shall go on to 
complete sunshine ; it shall shine brighter and brighter 
to the perfect day. — T. Brooks. 



Faint, and sinking on the road, 
Still I cling to thee, my God. 
Bending 'neath a weight of woes, 
Harassed by a thousand foes, 
Hope still chides my rising fears, 
Joy still mingles with my tears ; 
For thy word still sounds to me, 
" As thy days thy strength shall be." 

— H. F. Lyte. 




JUNE 6. 



165 



Who hath despised the day of small things f — Zech, 
IV. 10. 

DO I feel the vast importance of little things, 
whether in ordinary life, or in matters of re- 
ligion? Am I careful to encourage, not to repress 
even the faintest stragglings after good, whether in 
myself, or in others? Do I feel that God does not 
despise the day of small things ; that the bruised reed 
he will not break, and the smoking flax he will not 
quench, till he bring forth judgment unto victory? 
In little things, as well as great, do I strive to serve 
him? 



He that despiseth small things, shall fall by little 
and little. — Ecclesiasticus. 

In all the history of our Saviour, there is not one 
wrathful sentence— not one speech of condemnation 
for the weak and sorrowing. He had sympathy and 
compassion for all infirmities ; for sorrow, for sickness, 
for all who were penitent. He encouraged the feeblest 
and weakest to come to him. — J. Bate. 



Sow when the morning breaketh, 

In beauty o'er the land ; 
And when the evening falleth, 

Withhold not thou thine hand. 
Sow though the rock repel thee, 

In its cold and sterile pride ; 
Some cleft there may be riven, 

Where the little seed may hide. 



166 



JUNE 7. 



Ihave set before thee an open door. — Rev. iii. 8. 
\ S Christ has opened the door of life, have I, by 



free salvation which he has offered for my acceptance ? 
Do I realize that this door will not always be open ; 
and that if God's offers are rejected or neglected, it 
may soon be too late to enter it 0 If I have entered, 
am I in earnest to go forward in the way of life ? Do 
I seek to lead others to enter in. and be safe ? 



The carnal mind, which is enmity, fortifies the soul 
against God as with bars and doors : averts it from 
him ; carries it with a horrid, guilty consciousness, 
which, in the end, fills it with eternal despair, and en- 
wraps it in the blackness of darkness for ever. — John 
Howe. 

Those who would go to heaven when they die, must 
begin their heaven now, while they live. — Matthew 
Henry. 

Make good use of time, if thou lovest eternity. 
Yesterday cannot be recalled. To-morrow cannot be 
secured. Now is the accepted time. If to-day is 
lost, it is lost for ever. 



Silent, like men in solemn haste, 
Girded wayfarers of the waste, 
We pass out at the world's wide gate, 
Turning our back on all its state : 
We press along the narrow road, 
That leads to life, to bliss, to God. 




Have I accepted the full and 



■H. Boxar. 



JUNE 8, 



167 



Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and 
not unto men. — Col. iii. 23. 

AM I a cheerful, willing, earnest servant of Christ ? 
Is it my sincere desire that my life should be 
more and more devoted to God ? Though I cannot do 
great things, do I remember that my service will be 
acceptable in whatsoever may be done, if undertaken 
in a right spirit, and in dependence on divine aid? 
Is it my encouragement, that though man looketh to 
the outward appearance, God looketh on the heart ? 



No man need think he can ever become eminent in 
anything, unless he work at it with an earnestness 
"bordering on enthusiasm. — Robebt Hall. 

Idleness is the very rust and canker of the soul ; 
the devil's cushion, and pillow, and chief reposal ; his 
very tide-time of temptation, as it were, wherein he 
carries with much care, and without contradiction, 
the current of our corrupt affections to any cursed sin. 
— Bolton. 



One by one thy duties wait thee ; 

Let thy whole strength go to each ; 
Let no future dreams elate thee ; 

Learn thou first what these can teach. 
Every hour that fleets so slowly, 

Has its task to do or bear. 
Luminous the crown and holy, 

When each gem is set with care. 

— A. Procter. 



16S 



JUNE 9. 



Lest Satan should get the advantage of us ; for ice 
are not ignorant of his devices. — 2 Cob. ii. 11. 

I A 0 I always bear in mind that Satan is a personal 



A-J enemy, subtle, vigilant, and ever seeking to 
entrap the unwary and careless in his snares ? Do I 
realize that he is a watchful enemy, ready to take 
every advantage of us, and to deceive and allure us 
to evil ? Do I seek for strength to resist him, and for 
grace to avoid his devices even though he may come 
as an angel of light ? Do I keep near to Christ, that 
in him I may be safe ? 



Even the devil has one good quality, that if we re- 
sist him he will flee from us ; and the strength of 
Christ is always freely offered to us, that we may be 
able to do it. * 

The first step toward strength, is to know our weak- 
ness. We are to be steadfast, not in self, but in faith ; 
confident in God ; relying on his promises, his wisdom, 
his power and love. In this spirit we are to meet 
temptation, feeling that both it and the tempter him- 
self are under God's control. * 



Why should I fear the darkest hour, 

Or tremble at the tempter's power ? 

Jesus vouchsafes to be my tower. 

Though fierce the right, why quit the field ? 

Why should I either fly or yield, 

Since Jesus is my sword and shield ? 




JUNE 10. 



169 



Set a watch, 0 Lord, before my mouth : keep the 
door of my lips. — Ps. cxli. 3. 

DO I keep in mind the startling declaration of 
God's word, that " the tongue is a fire, a world 
of iniquity, setting on fire the course of nature, and 
that it is set on fire of hell ;; ? And do I strive, habit- 
ually, to govern my tongue, that I may not be sur- 
prised into idle, or foolish, or sinful words — words 
dishonoring to God, or unkind or injurious to man ? 
Do I endeavor always to speak for good, or else be 
silent? __ 

If used aright, there is nothing better than the 
tongue : it is the organ of truth and reason ; the bond 
of civil society; the medium of sympathy and kind- 
ness and love to our fellow-men, and the instrument 
of our praise and worship of God. But if used im- 
properly, there is nothing worse than the tongue : it 
is the instrument of all strife and contentions ; the 
source of division, and bitterness, and wars ; the organ 
of error, and falsehood, and slander and blasphemies. 



Words are mighty, words are living ; 

Serpents with their venomous stings, 
Or bright angels, crowding round us, 

With heaven's light upon their wings. 
Every word has its own spirit, 

True or false, that never dies ; 
Every word our lips may utter, 

Sounds in God's ear in the skies ! 

— A. Procter. 



170 



JUNE 11. 



That they may adorn the doctrine of God our 
Saviour in all things. — Titus ii. 10. 

BY my sincere love of the truth, and by my faith- 
ful conduct as a Christian, do I let my light 
shine, and so commend religion to all about me ? Do 
I lay aside the false idea that I must have a certain 
position in the world's estimation, before I can have 
influence for good over others? And do I endeavor 
habitually so to live, that all may take knowledge of 
me that I have been with Jesus, and so be led to 
him? 



We can do more good by being good than in any 
other way. — Kowland Hill. 

By doing without weariness, and suffering without 
murmuring; by having your hands active in God's 
service, and your feet swift to run in the way of his 
commandments — thus may your bodies be used by 
the spirits within them, for the hallowed service of 
the Master. Dust they are ; but they can bring 
praise to him who hath formed them. — T. Haweis. 



Who are a blessing ? Who themselves the blest ? 
Who win the wandering to the Saviour's rest ? 
They who have kept their sympathies awake, 
And scattered joy for more than custom's sake ; 
Steadfast and tender in the hour of need ; 
Gentle in thought, benevolent in deed; 
Their looks have power to make dissensions cease ; 
Their smiles are pleasant, and their souls are peace. 



JUNE 12. 



171 



My times are in thy hand.—Ps. xxxi. 15. 
0 I feel that God's providence is over all, and 



JLx that all my times are in his hand, and are con- 
trolled and directed by him ? Is it not a comfort and 
support, to know that he is ordering all for my highest 
good if I trust him? Where my own wisdom and 
courage and strength would fail, do I not know that 
he is all-sufficient ; and that with more than a father's 
tenderness he watches over every step of my way, and 
will guide me safely to himself in heaven ? 



One minute sooner than God's time, would not be 
his people's mercy. Our times, or opportunities are 
in his hand ; and therefore he knows the best time for 
our deliverance, and we must wait for it.— -Matthew 
Henry. 

Creatures may fail you, but God never will. He 
will be more than a father, even a God to you. He 
will order his providence for your good ; and carry on 
his work in thee ; and fulfill his promises to thee. Only 
believe, and you shall find all things work for your 
good, both for time and eternity. 



The God who made my heart, is he alone 
That of himself both can and will 
Give rest unto my thoughts, and fill 
Them full of all content and quietness; 

That so I may possess 

My soul in patience, 
Until he find it time to call me hence. 




-Quarles. 



172 



JUNE IS. 



God commendeth his love to us, in that while we were 
yet sinners, Christ died for us. — Rom. v. 8. 

IN view of God's wonderful, unfathomable love as 
manifest in redemption, do I give him the return 
that he asks, namely, the love and homage of my heart 
and life ? Do I realize the fact that though God hates 
the sin, he loves the sinner, even when in the sinfulness 
of his sins ; and that to win us back to himself, he gave 
his well-beloved Son to die that we might live ? Does 
his love to me, lead me to live for him ? 



The wonder in heaven, which eclipses all other mar- 
vels in heaven, earth and hell, is, and ever will be, the 
unspeakable love of God in Christ, by which salvation 
is freely offered to the very chief of sinners. — Owen. 

All earthly love is as nothing to the love of God. 
He so loved us as to give his Son to die for us ; as to 
impart his Holy Spirit to us : as to prepare the king- 
dom of glory for us ; as to give us exceeding great and 
precious promises ; as to make us his children and heirs 
for ever. How then ought we to love him ! 



See, from his head, his hands, his feet, 

Sorrow and love flow mingled down ; 
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, 

Or thorns compose so rich a crown ? 
Were the whole realm of nature mine, 

That were a present far too small ; 
Love, so amazing, so divine, 

Demands my soul, my life, my all. 

— Watts. 



JUNE 14. 



173 



Thy will he done, — Luke xi. 2. 

HAVE I learned this most important lesson, ever 
to desire that God's will may be done in all 
things ? Do I cheerfully bow my own will to his ? 
Am I so thoroughly satisfied that his will is always 
wise and good, and that he requires nothing that is 
not for my highest welfare, that I yield to him cheer- 
fully and thankfully? Do I study God's word, and 
watch his providence, and pray for the light of his 
Holy Spirit, that I may know his will? And when 
known, am I willing, at all times, to do or suffer it? 



To worship a graven image is not worse idolatry, 
than to set up self-will, and always follow it, instead 
of conforming to, and complying with the divine and 
eternal will of God. — J. Smith. 

Few things are worse for us than to have our own 
way, and be left to our own will. The work of sanc- 
tincation is but slight, if we are willing to carve for 
ourselves. The wisest, holiest, safest, happiest, best 
state for us to be in, is that 111 which, from the heart, 
we can, in all circumstances, say, " Not my will, but 
thine be done." * 



My God, my Father, while I stray, 
Far from my home, on life's rough way, 
Oh, teach me from the heart to say, 

Thy will be done ! 
Renew my will from day to day, 
Blend it with thine, and take away, 
All that now makes it hard to say, 

Thy will be done. — C. Elliott. 



174 



JUNE 15. 



Thou hast loosed my bonds. — Ps. cxvi. 16. 
AYE I, by the grace of God in Christ Jesus, 



I rejoice, with thankfulness, in the liberty of God's 
children ? Do I feel that I am free not only from the 
condemnation, but from the reigning power of sin? 
And do I so prize the blessedness of my state as a 
new creature in Christ Jesus, that I seek to lead 
others to the same blessedness? 



He who has received the spirit of adoption, no 
longer acts as a slave who regards his duties as a 
burden and endeavors to lessen them. On the con- 
trary, he delights in duty, because he delights in God. 
He is at home with God his Father, and as it were 
conversing with him while engaged in his service. — 
Milnor. 

The Christian is free from the charge of sin, because 
Christ was his substitute ; free from its guilt and con- 
demnation, through faith in the person and work of 
Jesus ; free from the love and power and slavery of 
sin, through the influence of the Holy Spirit. Blessed 
freedom, that delivers from all the evil of sin ; and raises 
to a life of holiness and to heaven. * 



He is the freeman whom the truth makes free, 
And all are slaves beside. — Cowper. 

Ignorance bound me ; Satan tossed me ; 
But Jesus found me, and Satan lost me. 

— Bunyan. 




bondage of sin ? And do 



JUNE 16. 



175 



Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the 
earth. — Is A. xlv. 22. 

HT^V 0 I look to Christ, and only to him. for salvation ? 



. I J Am I strong in the faith that he is both able 
and willing to save me, and that from him I may re- 
ceive pardon for the guilt of sin, and strength to over- 
come its power ? Am I looking away from the dark- 
ness of self, to the light that is in him ; from the ever- 
varying frames and feelings of my own heart, to him 
who is the same from everlasting to everlasting ? 



Faith is the soul's outward, not its inward look. 
The object on which it fixes its eye, is not the heart's 
ever-varying frames, but the never-varying Christ. — 
Baillie. 

Too often, and almost unconsciously, we look at the 
Sun of righteousness as it is reflected in our own 
troubled waters, rather than by an upward look to it, 
as it really is, in the heavens. The very reverse of 
this is what we should do. We should look to prom- 
ises, not feelings. The latter change, while the former 
are like the everlasting hills, that cannot be moved. 



Come, ye souls by sin afflicted, 
Bowed with fruitless sorrow down, 

By the broken law convicted, 

Through the cross behold the crown ! 

Look to Jesus ; 
Mercy flows from him alone ! — J. Hart, 




176 



JUNE 17. 



The end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore 
sober, and watch unto prayer. — 1 Pet. iv. 7. 

1 \0 I bear in mind how fast life is passing away, 



I J and what momentous issues are dependent on 
it ? And do I cherish, habitually, that serious frame 
of mind and heart which becomes one who, at any 
moment, may be called to eternity ? While I pray, 
do I watch ; and while I watch, do I pray ? And 
through both watchfulness and prayer, is it my earnest 
endeavor ever to be found faithful in duty and pre- 
pared for the coming of the Son of man ? 



Prayer, without watching, is hypocrisy ; and watch- 
ing, without prayer, is presumption. 

Pressing emergencies are to be met with correspond- 
ing efforts. We must proportion our strength and 
exertion to the tasks and duties and dangers before 
us, doing with our might what we can do, and praying 
with our might that God may do for us. If we do all 
that we can to stand, and then fear lest we may fall, 
by the grace of God we are safe. * 



Watch ! 'tis your Lord's command ; 

And while we speak, he's near : 
Mark the first signal of his hand, 

And ready all appear. 
Oh happy servant he, 

In such a posture found ; 
He shall his Lord with rapture see, 

And be with honor crowned ! — Doddridge. 




JUNE 18. 



Ill 



Thus saith the Lord of hosts, consider your ivays. 
— Haggai i. 5. 

T^O I realize the importance of self-knowledge, 



especially as to spiritual things ? Do I apply 
my mind seriously to the important work of self-ex- 
amination, comparing myself, both as to motives and 
conduct, with the teaching of God's word? Do I look 
to my principles, to my motives, to my feelings, to my 
aims, to my conduct, and ask if they are all such as 
God can approve ? Has the serious consideration of 
my ways led me to amend whatever may have been 
amiss, and to aim at all that is right ? 



The sins of men go before them to the judgment, 
and will be ready to meet them there. What a fear- 
ful meeting ! How impossible to escape from their 
accusing and their consequences. — Jeffries. 

Consideration is the bed where the incorruptible 
seed is sown ; and on the ground thus prepared the 
Sun of righteousness doth shine, and by his warmth 
produces in the soul all manner of pleasant and 
heavenly fruits. — Anthony Hornbeck. 



The world's a labyrinth, whose anfractuous ways 
Are all composed of rubs, and crookt meanders. 

No resting here : he's hurried back who stays 
A thought : and he that goes unguided, wanders, 

Her way is dark ; her path untrod, uneven : 

So hard the way from earth ; so hard the way to 
heaven — Q,u arles. 




12 



178 



JUNE 19. 



Give me thine heart. — Peov. xxiii. 26. 

AM I willing that God should reign in my heart 
supremely and alone? Is there anything I 
would keep back from him ; any feeling, or desire, or 
object that comes between my soul and its entire 
allegiance to Christ? Is the world, in any of its 
forbidden forms, holding a first place in my affections ? 
Do I always bear in mind, that, as I am bought with 
a price, even the precious blood of Christ, I am not 
my own, but God's? 



The greatest difficulty in conversion, is, to win the 
heart to God ; and the greatest difficulty after conver- 
sion, is, to keep the heart with God. — Flavel. 

The heart is that which God requires, and calls for 
from every one of us. Whatever we give, if we do 
not give him our hearts, it will not be accepted. — M. 
Heney. 

Unless I give my heart wholly to God, and make 
religion my great and engrossing concern, I shall be a 
stranger not only to duty, but to all solid peace and 
enjo} T ment. — Chalmees. 



Blessed Saviour ! thee I love, 

All my other joys above ; 

Thine, entirely thine, am I, 

Thine to live, and thine to die ; 

Height, or depth, or earthly power, 

Ne'er shall hide my Saviour more ; 

Ever shall my glory be, 

Only, only, only thee ! — G. Duffield. 



JUNE 20. 



179 



Where I am, there shall also my servant he. — John 



0 I rejoice in this promise of the blessed Saviour, 



JL/ and look forward, in hope, to being with him for 
ever in heaven? Do I regard this world as but a school 
of discipline and training for the heavenly state? Am 
I following my divine Master now, as one who looks 
forward to the honor and blessedness of sharing his 
glory hereafter ? Is it my great desire and effort to be 
found faithful unto death, that a crown of life may be 
mine ? — — 

Our Saviour's last prayer on earth pleads earnestly 
for the glorification of his servants with himself. His 
parting wish is to meet them in heaven ; as if his 
earthly jewels were needed to make his crown com- 
plete; as if the happiness and joy of his people were 
the needed complement of his own. 

For ever with Jesus ! Then for ever in light, with- 
out darkness ; in pleasure without pain ; in plenty with- 
out want; in holiness without sin; joint heirs with 
Christ, sharing his glory and blessedness ; shining in 
his light ; for ever ravished with his love ! What a 
glorious prospect ! Bless the Lord for its certainty. 



Soon we shall with those in glory, 

His transcendent grace relate ; 
Gladly sing the amazing story 

Of his dying love so great ; 
In that blessed contemplation 

We for evermore shall dwell, 
Crown d with bliss and consolation 

Such as none below can tell. 



xii. 26. 




— Bake well. 



180 



JUNE 21. 



Blessed be the Lord, ivho daily loadeth us with bene- 
fits.— Ps. lxviii. 19. 

|~\ 0 I feel that every blessing I receive cometh down 



1 J from above? Do I thoughtfully consider how 
multiplied these blessings are, and how varied and con- 
stant their bestowment? Life, health, food, raiment, 
friends, all that makes life pleasant or dear to me, and 
so the light of the gospel, the gift of a Saviour, the 
influence of the Holy Spirit, and all that tends to pre- 
pare me for heaven — do they not all come from God? 
For all do I praise him? Do I show forth my gratitude 
in my life ? 

They that deserve nothing, should be thankful for 
anything. Bless God for what you have, and trust 
him for what you want. — J. Mason. 

Mercy is the fairest letter in Jehovah's name, and 
love and goodness the noblest attributes of his nature. 
• — Thornton. 

He that daily loads us with his benefits, will not put 
us off with present things for a portion, but will be 
the God of our salvation. What he gives us now, he 
gives as the God of our salvation, and as an earnest 
of it, pursuant to his own great plan of saving us. — 
Matthew Henry. 



I want to praise, with a life renewed, 
As I never have praised before ; 

With voice, and pen, and song, and speech, 
To thank thee more and more ; 

And for all thy gifts, my gratitude, 
Rejoicingly outpour. 




JUNE 22. 



181 



But one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that 
good part, which shall not be taken away from her. — 
Luke x. 42. 

IN all my plans and aims, do I take into view my 
entire existence ? Do I think and act, not merely 
for this life, but for endless ages ? Do I seek after that 
real godliness, which is the one thing needful, and which 
has the promise both of this life, and of that which is 
to come ? Bearing in mind that we cannot serve two 
masters, do I make God my supreme choice and de- 
light ? Feeling that the world cannot satisfy the soul, 
have I chosen that good part which is satisfying, sure, 
and eternal? ■ — — 

Earthly occupations may engage, but they must not 
engross our thoughts. They must have a share in our 
hearts ; but let us not forget that our well-being through 
eternity demands that it should be only a subordinate 
share. — Haggitt. 

God has directed us so to live, and we may so live, 
as to make the best of both worlds. We have a life 
on earth, and must attend to its duties ; but we should 
make every one of them a means of grace. We have 
a life beyond this world, stretching on through eternity, 
and we should so improve our probation here that our 
endless life may be one of endless blessedness. * 



Come, says Jesus' sacred voice, 

Come, and make my paths your choice ; 

Hither come, for here is found, 

Balm that flows for every wound ; 

Peace, that ever shall endure ; 

Eest, eternal, sacred, sure. — Babbauld, 



182 



JUNE 23. 



Behold he prayeth. — Acts ix. 11. 
AYE I this evidence of being truly converted, 



J L that I love the Spirit and the place of prayer? 

Do I pray with earnestness and faith, as Paul prayed? 
Do I feel that it is as impossible for the soul truly to 
live, without prayer, as it is for the body to live without 
breath? Do I believe that to be prayerless is to be 
graceless ? When I pray for what seems a right object, 
do I do all in my power to act for it ? 



Sinning will make us leave off praying; or praying 
will make us leave off sinning. — Dyee. 

What God has promised, we must pray for. He will 
be inquired of, and especially for divine instruction and 
guidance. — Matthew Henry. 

If we do but lisp, even though we silently address 
God without opening our lips, yet we cry to him in the 
inmost recesses of the heart, and God always listens to 
the sincere direction of the heart to him. — Clement 
of Alexandria. 



Prayer is the Christian's vital breath ; 

The Christian's native air; 
His watchword at the gates of death ; 

He enters heaven with prayer. 
0 thou by whom we come to God, 

The Life, the Truth, the Way ; 
The path of prayer thyself hast trod ; 

Lord ! teach us how to pray ! 




— Montgomery. 



JUNE 24. 



183 



The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon him. — Ps. 
cxlv. 18. 

TS it not a blessed assurance, that God is ever ready 



JL to hear and answer the prayers of his children? 
And do I improve this privilege of God's willingness, 
by sending up my thoughts in prayer to him, whenever 
and wherever I feel my need ? Is it not a cause of 
devout thankfulness, that God is always within hear- 
ing of prayer, and that I am always within reach of 
his help ? At all times do I rejoice in his nearness, 
and love to hold communion with him ? 



No prayer is ever lost. They are lasting and living 
things ; and are, as it were, indented around the 
throne of God. And when he looks round, he sees 
the prayers of his people covered with the sweet in- 
cense of the Saviour's intercession. — Bickeksteth. 

What is only matter of prayer on earth, will be 
matter of praise in heaven. 

The answer to prayer is slow ; but the force of prayer 
cumulative. Not till life is over, is the whole answer 
to it given, and the whole strength it has brought us 
fully understood. * 



Where two or three together meet, 

Lo, in the midst, is One, 
Who hears believing hearts that beat, 

With life his breath begun. 
Ere we can pour our earnest cry, 
He listens from his throne on high ! 




184 



JUNE 25. 



He hath prepared for them a city. — Heb. xi. 16. 

AS God has prepared a city, do I bear in mind 
that all who would enter it must be a prepared 
people ; and that if I would attain to its blessedness, 
I must live a prepared life ? Am I working the works 
God has given me to do ? Am I endeavoring to lay 
up my treasure in heaven ? By a life of faith and 
holy obedience, do I show that I am seeking the city 
that hath eternal foundations, whose Builder and 
Maker is God? 



The great Counselor bids us follow at his beck, often 
through clouds and darkness, promising eternal sun- 
shine on the other side, in the prepared city. There 
we shall see how every rough wind has but hastened 
our bark nearer to the desired haven. — T. Beooks. 

If there be such glory in God's footstool on earth, 
what will there be in his throne? If he gives us so 
much in the land of our pilgrimage, what will he not 
give us in our own country? If so much to his 
enemies on earth, what will he not give to his friends 
in their everlasting home in heaven ? — Spencee. 



Onward ! the goal that thou seekest, 

Is worthy the quest of a life ; 
And love can give to the weakest, 

Courage and strength for the strife. 
Onward ; our cry for ever, 

Till the glorious goal be won, 
'Mid the brightness, fading never, 

Of heaven's unclouded sun ! 



JUNE 26. 



185 



Take heed unto thyself. — 1 Tim. iv. 16. 

HAVE I taken heed to myself in the highest 
sense, by going to Christ for salvation ? Do I 
rest all my hopes on him ? Do I take heed that my 
life and conduct be such as become a follower of Jesus 
— a child of the most high God ? Is my faith founded 
on the teachings of God's word, and my life conformed 
to its precepts ? Do I endeavor to lead others to the 
only divine way of truth and duty ? 



Whatever a man may be doing, as he thinketh in 
his heart, so is he. If his aims are low, and his plans 
worldly, so is he. If his motives are pure, and his 
purposes high and heavenly, so is he. And as he is, 
so is his work. — Ruskin. 

A religious life involves self-denial, and constant 
watchfulness. We have to beware of the world with- 
out, and take heed to ourselves within. Our wills, 
desires, affections, habits, lives, are to be conformed to 
the will of God ; and that from the full conviction, 
that what he wills is the perfection of virtue and 
right, and at the same time our happiness. * 



Tremblers beside the opening grave, 
Father ! we call on thee to save, 

By power divine ! 
In mercy hear our suppliant breath ; 
Keep us, through faith, in life or death, 

Thine, only thine ! 



186 



JUNE 27. 



He to ill give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him. 
—Luke xi. 13. 

IF the Holy Spirit has not come to my heart, is it 
not through my own neglect to ask ? If he does 
not habitually dwell with me, is it not because I have 
not earnestly prayed for his presence 0 Do I remem- 
ber that I can never better please God than when I 
come and ask for his Spirit to be with me, to sanctify 
and comfort and guide? Do I pray for his blessed in- 
fluence for others, as well as for my own soul 9 



As the air is all around us. and we have only to 
open our lungs to receive it, so the Holy Spirit is ever 
ready and waiting to come to us. if Ave will but open 
our hearts to his blessed influence. The only uncon- 
ditional promise in the entire Bible, is, that God will 
give his Holy Spirit to all who ask it. * 

Those who do not frequent God's throne of mercy 
on earth, will never bow at his throne of glory in 
heaven. Not a single blessing is promised in God's 
word, either for this world or the next, to those who 
do not pray. 

Holy Ghost ! with light divine, 
Shine upon this heart of mine ; 
Chase the shades of night away ; 
Turn my darkness into day. 
With thy power and joy divine, 
Dwell within this heart of mine ; 
Cast down every idol-throne ; 
Eeign supreme, and reign alone ! 

—A. Reed. 



JUNE 28. 



187 



Canst thou by searching, find out God t — Job xi. 7. 

DO I realize that the infinite depths of God's wis- 
dom and power cannot be fathomed, nor the 
brightness of his glory described, nor the rich treasures 
of his goodness and mercy be numbered? Am I sat- 
isfied to know, though I cannot comprehend God ; to 
adore and love though I cannot fully understand ? Is 
it my great object to know his will, to obey his com- 
mandments, and in all things to trust him ? 



It is foolish in us to muse on vanity when we have 
the character and love of God to think of ; to let the 
mill grind charT, when there is such plenty of corn at 
hand. — Manton. 

If you would fully believe, says Luther, you must 
crucify that question, " Why ?" God would not have 
us too full of wherefores. We must follow his com- 
mands without questioning. Abraham subscribed a 
blank when God called him out of his own country ; 
but he was led to a better. — Bkidge. 



In its sublime research, philosophy 

May measure out the ocean's deep ; may count 
The sands, or the sun's rays. But, God, for thee 

There is no weight or measure. None can mount 
Up to thy mysteries. Reason's brightest spark, 

Though kindled by thy light, in vain would try 
To trace thy counsels, infinite and dark ; 

And thought is lost ere thought can soar so high, 

Even as past moments in eternity ! 



188 



JUNE 29. 



Narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few 
there be that find it. — Matt. vii. 14. 
I \0 I always keep in mind the fact, that the way 



A^J to heaven is narrow and difficult, and that to 
walk in it demands self-denial and effort ? If I would 
be kept in it, must I not resist temptation, and turn 
aside from allurement, and engage in duties that at 
times are painful to flesh and blood? But in it, shall 
I not enjoy God's favor, which is life ; and at the end 
"be sure of everlasting life ? Is not this thought a help 
by the way ? 



Let us neither despise, nor overvalue the world. 
While we bless God for its comforts, let us pray him 
to keep us from its snares. * 

The Christian is not ruined by living in the world, 
which he must needs do while he remains in it, but by 
allowing the world to live in him. 

If this pilgrimage were all the way a way of ease 
and comfort, then we should not much desire to hasten 
on in it, or to come to the end of it, or to see God in 
heaven. Satisfied with the sweetness of the streams, we 
should stay away from the fountain. — G. B. Cheevee. 



Girt with the love of God on every side, 

Breathing that love as heaven's own healing air, 

I work or wait, still following my guide, 
Braving each foe, escaping every snare. 

Pressing still onward in the narrow way, 

That leads, where Jesus led, to endless day. 




JUNE 30. 



189 



Pray without ceasing. — 1 Thess. v. 17. 

NOT only do I have stated times for prayer, and a 
closet in which to utter it, but do I also at all times 
cherish the spirit of prayer? In the intervals of busi- 
ness, or labor, or study, do my thoughts go up in silent 
supplication? As I walk by the way, or in the watches 
of midnight, do I love to hold communion of thought 
and prayer with God ? Do I pray as instinctively as 
I breathe? Do I expect never to cease praying, till 
I reach that blessed world where prayer is lost in 
praise ? 



The promise of God is not to the act, but to the 
habit of prayer. — Payson. 

Prayer requires more of the heart than of the tongue ; 
of sighs than of words ; of faith than of discourse. The 
eloquence of prayer consists in the fervency of the de- 
sire ; in the simplicity of faith ; and in the earnestness 
and perseverance of love. Our trust and confidence 
ought to proceed from that which God is able to do in 
us, not from what wq can say to God. — Quesnel. 



Never shrink, and never fear ; 
Humbly, boldly, persevere ; 
" Always pray and never faint/' 
Is his word to every saint. 
Trust the word that cannot fail ; 
Urge the plea that must prevail ; 
And you joyfully shall prove, 
All his boundless wealth of love. 



190 



JUL Y 1. 



That they all may be one ; as thou. Father \ art in 
me, and I in thee. — John xvii. 21. 



0 I seek to cultivate that spirit of Christian unity 



JL^ which Christ enjoined on his disciples, and which 
was so exemplified in his own life ? Do I realize that 
all Christians are one in their desires and prayers, though 
differing in modes of expression : that they have the 
same spirit of adoption, and are children of the same 
Father? Do I not only study the lesson of charity, 
and tolerance, and forbearance, but do I also seek to be 
one with my fellow- Christians in love to God, and love 
to all around me ? 

If Christians lived nearer to God, they would have 
no difficulty in loving one another. — J. Hamilton. 

None are so easily acquainted, so closely knit to- 
gether, and so much endeared to each other, as real 
Christians. They are children of the same Father, 
brothers of the same Sou, habitations of the same 
Spirit ; fellow-citizens, fellow-servants, fellow-soldiers, 
fellow-travelers, fellow-heirs. How should they love 
each other ! — J. Mason. 



Blest be the tie that binds, 

Our hearts in Christian love ; 
The fellowship of kindred minds, 

Is like to that above. 
Before our Father's throne, 

We pour our ardent prayers ; 
Our fears, our hopes, our aims, are one, 

Our comforts, and our cares. 




— J. Fawcett. 



JUL Y 2. 



191 



He that watereth, shall be watered also himself. — • 
Prov. xi. 25. 

I "\0 I realize that I am but a steward of God ; and 



. 1 J that as such, I am to use my time, talents, in- 
fluence, property — everything, for him? And can I 
better act as a faithful steward, than by aiding others 
in all reasonable ways : by scattering blessings with a 
free and bounteous hand ; by words of sympathy, and 
instruction, and comfort; and giving systematically, 
and liberally, to the great objects of benevolence ? In 
thus seeking to bless others, shall I not myself be 
richly blest? 

The more you are like God, the happier you will 
be ; and God receives not, but gives. Why should I 
not give a few crumbs to my Saviour, who daily sup- 
plies my table, and gives me all things richly to en- 
joy? Would I receive more from him? Then let 
me give more. — Mtjller. 

As the moon doth show her light to the world which 
she receiveth from the sun, so we ought to bestow the 
benefits received from God to the profit of our neigh- 
bor. — Cawdrey. 

God's love to us has wealth upheaped ; 
Only by giving, is it reaped. 
The heart will wither, and the mind, 
If pent in by a selfish rind. 

Give strength, give thought, give deeds, give pelf, 
Give love, give tears, and give thyself. 

Who gives not is not living ; 

We only live by giving. 
The more we give, the more we live. 




192 



JUL Y 3. 



I sleep, but my heart waketh. — Sol. Song v. 2. 

DO I watch against everything like spiritual cold- 
ness, knowing that if allowed at all, it will soon 
gain ground, to the exclusion of growth in godliness ? 
If, at times, I am tempted to neglect duty, or to allow 
a desire for ease and self-indulgence, do I prayerfully 
strive against it? Even if spiritual torpor should 
steal over me, do I not find that my heart is awake, 
and that my conscience still speaks, showing that 
Christ is still calling me to be up and doing, and to 
be active in his service? 



We must be diligent, devoted, earnest in our 
Master's service, if we would be kept from being 
cold, and lifeless, and useless. We should be too 
active to stagnate; too busy to freeze. There is 
work enough always to be done ; and the injunction 
is, that we do with our might what our hands find 
to do. * 

None shall be saved by Christ, but those only who 
work out their own salvation while God is working in 
them. We cannot do without God ; and he will not 
do without us. — Matthew Heney. 

Settle it in your heart, that it is the sum of all your 
business and blessedness, to live to God. — J. Wesley. 



Whate'er pursuits my time employ, 
One thought shall fill my soul with joy ; 
That silent, earnest thought shall be, 
That all my joys be found in thee, 
And all my hopes shall rest on thee, 
On thee, my God, on thee ! 



JULY I 



193 



Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good 
pleasure to give you the kingdom. — Luke xii. 32. 

IS it not a blessed and most cheering thought, that 
Christ knows every one of his disciples ; and that 
he has declared they shall never perish, and none shall 
pluck them out of his hand? Am I one to whom 
this promise is given ; one of the little nock to whom 
he will give the kingdom? Do I rejoice in belonging 
to it ? Do I endeavor to bring others into it ? Do I 
thankfully follow its divine Shepherd wherever he may 
lead me, hearkening to his voice, and keeping near to 
him? 

It is a little flock, a fearful flock, but a most be- 
loved flock, and one to whom a kingdom is promised. 
— Macduff. 

No grace, not even the most sparkling and shining, 
can bring us to heaven without perseverance in follow- 
ing Christ : not faith, if it be faint and frail ; nor love, 
if it decline and wax cold ; nor humility, if it continue 
not to the end ; not obedience, not repentance, not 
patience, no, nor any other grace, except they have 
their perfect work. It is not enough to begin well, 
unless we end well. — T. Brooks. 



While through this wilderness we roam, 
How sweet to think we're going home ! 
To know our trials soon shall cease, 
And all our woes be hushed to peace. 

Home, sweet home ! 
Oh, for the land of rest above ! 
Our own eternal home ! 
13 



194 



jriY .7. 



It I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will 
not hear me. — Ps. lxvi. 18. 

I \0 I remember, at all times, that God looketh on 



I J the heart : and that if sin is cherished there, it 
is a fatal hindrance to the efficacy of prayer, as well 
as to a favorable hearing by him ? Is there any heart- 
sin to which I consciously allow a dwelling-place with- 
in, whether of intent, or feeling, or purpose? Do I 
pray that the Holy Spirit will enlighten me ; and do 
I search the Scriptures that I may be enlightened, so 
as to find out and part with all sin ? 



Sin is that which interposeth itself between the soul, 
and the light of God's countenance. But whether it 
be a slender mist, or a thick cloud, an infirmity or a 
rebellion, an omission or a commission, the Sun of 
righteousness, as eyed by faith, can and will disperse 
it, so as to make it vanish. — Abbowsmith. 

As the plaster cannot heal the wound while the 
arrow is sticking in it, so prayer will not profit him 
who regards iniquity in his heart. — Cawdbey. 



Behold me. Lord, and if thou find 

A root of bitterness within. 
Though were the wealth of worlds resigned, 

Oh, cleanse me from my secret sin. 
Then dwell with me a constant guest; 
And let me find in thee my rest ! 




JUL Y 6. 



195 



J will nm in the way of thy commandments, when 
thou shalt enlarge my heart. — Ps. cxix. 32. 

0 I bear in mind that the Christian life is a race ; 



1 J and the way in which we are to rnn ; is the way 
of God's commandments? Do I endeavor to keep the 
end in view, and to press on earnestly toward the mark, 
for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus? 
Is it my earnest desire, not only to walk, but to run 
with diligence the race set before me, looking unto 
Jesus, as both the Author and Finisher of the faith ? 
Do I run with sincerity of heart, with earnestness of 
purpose, with speed of progress, with vigor of pursuit? 



Always add ; always run ; always proceed. Neither 
stand still, nor go back, nor deviate. He that standeth 
still, proceedeth not ; he that goeth back, continueth 
not ; he that deviateth, revolteth ; he goeth better that 
even creepeth in his way, than he that moveth out of 
his way. — Augustine. 

The following of the soul after Christ is the effect of 
his grace. We never should run after him, if he did 
not draw us. But when he, by his word and his Spirit, 
draws us, then we shall run after him. 



Bought with thy service and thy blood, 

We doubly, Lord, are thine ; 
To thee our lives we would devote ; 

To thee our death resign. 
Thy covenant, through our changing days, 

Shall be our strength and stay ; 
Shall cheer our pathway to the tomb, 

And guide to endless day. — Doddkidge. 




196 



JULY 7. 



Endure afflictions. — 2 Tim. iv. 5. 
0 I bear patiently the afflictions and trials that 



1 J God, in his providence, may send me ? Or do I 
allow myself to become discouraged, and impatient 
under them ? Do I call to mind the patient endur- 
ance of Christ under all his sufferings? And does the 
thought of his example sustain and encourage me, 
when otherwise flesh and heart might fail? If he 
was made perfect through suffering, can his followers 
expect to go and meet him but by the road that he 



Though the word and the Spirit do the main work, 
yet suffering so unbolts the door of the heart, that 
both the word and the Spirit have easier entrance. — 
Baxtee. 

We are as sure of trouble in this world, as of waves 
on the sea; but while the waves toss and roll, they 
bear us on to the haven. — Lynch. 

If God dries up the water in the lake, it is to lead 
you to the unfailing fountain. If he sends the cross, 
it is to sweeten the crown. For no cross, no crown ; 
no rain, no rainbow. — Nottidg-e. 



Oft by the sharpest, roughest ways, 

Thou leadest on to happiness ; 
And who to thee doth consecrate his days, 

Trouble shall meet him but to bless. 
The end thereof shall clear and glorious be, 
Though the dull heart fail how, or now, to see. 




trod? 



— Waenee. 



JULY 8. 



197 



Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteous- 
ness. — Matt. vi. 33. 

IS it my earnest endeavor to keep the things of this 
world in subordination to the interests of my undy- 
ing soul ? To what purpose am I living ? What end 
am I striving to attain? Do I realize that unless I 
make God's service the first and great thing, I cannot 
enter his kingdom ? If ever discouraged with strivings 
after heavenly things, let me not forget that God ac- 
cepts, and will help all who sincerely seek him. 



Build your nest on no tree here ; for God hath sold 
the forest to Death, and every tree on which we would 
rest is ready to be cut down, to the end that we may 
flee, and mount up, and build upon the Eock. — Buth- 
erford. 

It does not require great learning to be a Christian 
— to be convinced of the truth of the Bible, and to be 
conformed to its requirements. It requires only an hon- 
est heart and a willingness to obey God. — A. Barnes. 



Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve, 

And press with vigor on ; 
A heavenly race demands thy zeal, 

And an immortal crown, 
"lis God's all-animating voice, 

That calls thee from on high ; 
'Tis his own hand presents the prize, 

To thine aspiring eye ! — Doddridge. 



198 



JULY 9. 



Looking unto Jesus. — Heb. xii. 2. 

DO I look to Jesus as the only ground of my hope 
for time and eternity? As my wisdom, to en- 
lighten ; my righteousness, to justify ; my sanctifi ca- 
tion, that I may be holy ; my complete, and full, and 
everlasting redemption ? Do I look to him as my ex- 
ample ? Do I look to him not only for acceptance, but 
for encouragement, assistance, support and guidance, 
in all my duties, conflicts and sufferings ? Is he all in 
all to me ? 



Like the bitten Israelite, look and live. For one look 
at self, take ten looks at Christ. Look at self only to 
see your need, and to Christ to find the remedy, the 
supply, the fullness. The least sight of Christ is sav- 
ing; the least touch of Christ is healing. Constant 
looking is constant life. 

When the heart grows weary, look to Jesus and 
consider him. Faith and meditation will fetch in fresh 
supplies of strength, comfort and courage. For he has 
assured us that if we suffer with him, we also shall 
reign with him ; and this hope will be our helmet. — 
M. Heney. 



Nearer, ever nearer. 

Christ, we draw to thee ; 
Deep in adoration, 

Bending low the knee : 
All we have to offer, 

All we hope to be, 
Body, soul and spirit, 

All we yield to thee ! — Thwingk 



JULY 10. 



199 



Every day will I bless thee. — Ps. cxlv. 2. 

EVERY day do I feel my dependence on God? 
Every day do I cherish the spirit of thankfulness 
for his many mercies? While his kind and watchful 
providence provides for all my wants, does my heart 
go forth in constant gratitude to him ? Do I trace all 
my blessings to his hand ; associate them all with his 
love ; let them all lead me nearer and nearer to him ? 



When I consider, great God, my dependence on thy 
providence, and that thy numberless mercies have been 
so little acknowledged and improved, I am justly afraid 
lest my unthankfulness should provoke thee to with- 
hold thy blessings. Pardon me, 0 God, that I have so 
little observed, admired, and acknowledged thy won- 
derful goodness, and give me grace hereafter to observe 
and value thy kindness as becomes one who has re- 
ceived so much more than he deserves. And may thy 
manifold blessings fix such lasting impressions on my 
soul, that I shall always praise thee faithfully on earth, 
and at last for ever in heaven. — Bishop Wilson. 



Every morning, Lord, my cry 
Shall to thee ascend on high ; 
Every night my praises show, 
What to thy great love I owe. 
Blessings fresh each morn appear ; 
Thanks each morning light shall hear, 
Mercies new each day supplies ; 
Praises new each night shall rise. 
Thus shall life one paean be, 
Pouring thankfulness to thee ! 



200 



JULY 11. 



Why art thou cast doivn, 0 my soul? — Ps. xlii. 5. 

IS my soul cast down because of temptation ? But 
has not God said that he will not suffer me to be 
tempted beyond what I am able to bear ? Is afflic- 
tion piercing my heart, or trouble pressing me down 
to the ground ? But does not my heavenly Father 
know and regulate it all ? And has he not promised 
that all things shall work together for my good if I 
love and trust him ? However dark the cloud ; is not 
the bow of mercy and promise upon it ? 



There is a dark and also a bright side to every 
providence, as there was to the tiery, cloudy pillar 
that guided God's people of old in the desert. Nature 
looks upon the dark side ; and calls it sorrow and sad- 
ness ; but faith sees the sun dispersing the darkness, 
and calls it by the name of joy. — H. Bonae. 

Never give way to sadness. Put on your hat, and 
go and visit the poor and sick in your neighborhood. 
Seek out the desolate and distressed ; inquire into their 
wants, and sympathize with, and minister to them. I 
have often tried it, and have always found it the best 
medicine for a heavy heart. — John Howaed. 



Oh, why art thou cast clown, my soul ? 

Uplift thee, and be strong ; 
Thy care upon the Maker roll, 

Thy sadness doth him wrong. 
The God who ever rales above, 
His child doth know, and keep and love ! 

— Obeelin. 



JULY 12. 



201 



All things are of God. — 2 Cob. v. 18. 

AM I in the constant habit of tracing all things 
to God? Do I recognize his providence in all 
events ; seek his guidance in every duty ; see his hand 
in every joy; and acknowledge it in every sorrow? 
Does it make trouble easier to bear that it comes from 
him? Is joy sweeter because he sends, and duty be- 
cause he commands it? In all my ways do I so 
acknowledge him, that I can claim the promise, that 
he will direct my steps? 



By him are all things, and in him do all things 
consist. Every object in nature is impressed with 
his footsteps, and every day repeats the wonders of 
creation. There is not an object, be it pebble or pearl, 
weed or rose, the flower-spangled sward beneath, or 
the star-spangled sky above, not a worm or an angel, 
a drop of water or a boundless ocean, in which in- 
telligence may not discern, and piety adore, the 
providence of him who took our nature that he 
might save our souls. — Gutheie. 



Though to-day may not fulfill 
All thy hopes, have patience still ; 
For perchance to-morrow's sun 
Sees the happier days begun ; 
As God willeth, march the hours, 
Bringing joy, at last, in showers, 
When whate'er we ask is ours. 

— Lyra Germanica. 



202 



JULY 13. 



Unto you which believe he is precious. — 1 Pet. ii. 7. 
1 TAVE I a living faith in Christ, as the only and 



J L all-sufficient Saviour? Is he the foundation 

of all my hopes for time and eternity? Does my 
soul go forth to him in gratitude and love ? Is he in- 
deed precious to me — precious in the excellence of his 
nature, in the greatness of his office, in the infinite 
value of his work ? Do I show my love to him by 
cherishing his Spirit, and keeping his commandments ? 



The Lord takes up none but the forsaken ; makes 
none healthy but the sick ; gives sight to none but the 
blind ; makes none alive but the dead ; sanctities none 
but sinners ; and to all these he is precious. — Luther. 

Christ is precious to all who believe ; and in every- 
thing he is precious ; and the more we know him, the 
more precious he becomes. His person, his blood, his 
promises, his sympathy, his love — they are all precious. 
His presence on earth is precious, but oh, what will it 
be in heaven ! — J. Smith. 



Jesus, Saviour, all divine, 

Hast thou made me truly thine ? 

Hast thou bought me with thy blood ? 

Reconciled my heart to God ? 

Hearken to my earnest prayer, 

Let me thine own image bear; 

Let me love thee more and more, 

Till I reach the heavenly shore. — Hastings. 




JULY 14. 



203 



Ye are complete in him. — Col. ii. 10. 

DO I rely entirely on the perfect atonement and 
finished work of Christ, as the only ground 
of my hope ? Through faith in him am I completely 
justified ; and through his truth and providence, and 
by the power of his Spirit, do I expect to be completely 
sanctified, so as at last, through grace, to be fitted for 
heaven, as through his promise I am entitled to it? 
Am I thankfully content to receive all from him — to 
take him for my wisdom, righteousness, sanctification 
and complete redemption ? 



God offers you the perfect robe of Christ's righteous- 
ness that will cover all your sins, and meet all your 
wants. You may have it without money and without 
price. Take God's word for it, and thankfully accept 
the gift. — Payson. 

What can we wish that is not found in God ? Would 
we have large possessions ? He is immensity. Would 
we have long continuance ? He is eternity itself. 
Would we be perfectly and for ever satisfied? We 
shall be, when we awake in his likeness. — Arrow- 
smith. 

He is a path, if any be misled ; 

He is a robe, if any naked be ; 
If any chance to hunger, he is bread ; 
If any be a bondman, he is free. 
If any be but weak, how strong is he ! 
To dead men, life he is ; to sick men, health ; 
To blind men, sight ; and to the needy, wealth ; 
A pleasure without loss, a treasure without stealth. 

— Giles Fletcher 



204 



JUL Y 15. 



Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and 
the Life. — John xiv. 6. 

I \0 I intelligently and sincerely take Christ as 



1 J my Way — the only way to pardon, to holiness, 
to duty, to heaven ? Do I receive him as the Truth, as 
opposed to all falsehood and error ; and his doctrine as 
the only true doctrine, desiring no other truth than the 
truth as it is in Jesus ? And do I take him as the Life ; 
the life of my soul; its beginning, middle and end? 
Am I so one with him, that for me to live is Christ ? 



Beside Christ there is no way but wandering ; no 
truth, but error and hypocrisy ; no life, but spiritual 
and eternal death. — Luthee. 

Little as I know of Christ (and it is my sin and 
shame that I know so little) I would not exchange the 
learning of one hour's fellowship with him for all the 
learning of ten thousand universities during ten thou- 
sand ages, even though angels were to be my teachers. 
—John Brown. 



0 Lord, be thou to me u the Way ;" 

To me be thou " the Truth 
To me, my Saviour, be " the Life/' 

To age from earliest youth ! 
So shall that Way be my delight, 

That Truth shall make me free, 
That Life shall raise me from the dead, 

That I may live to thee ! 




— Legh Richmond. 



JUL Y 16. 



205 



Arise and depart, for this is not your rest. — Mio, 



0 I realize that this world is polluted through 



I s sin, and endeavor so to live as to keep myself 
unspotted from its influence ? Do I watch against its 
corruptions? Is my heart — are my hopes — are my 
treasures in heaven ? Or do I seek my happiness and 
rest in the things of time and sense ? Do I look upon 
the world, and live in it, as if it were to be permanently 
my abiding place ? Or do I regard it, as it was designed 
to be, but as a mere passway to a home eternal in the 

heavens ? 

Do not look downward, Christian ; your home is 
above ; your Father above : your Saviour above ; your 
dearest friends, the companions you love, and the right- 
eous nation to which you belong — -all are above. Look 
not down, then ; but lift up your head, for your redemp- 
tion draweth nigh. — Champneys. 

If we live with God here below, we shall live with 
him above. If we make the world a field of labor for 
God, and a sphere of usefulness to men, we shall not 
be in danger from its allurements and temptations. 
If our hearts on earth are filled with the spirit of 
heaven, we soon shall enter there. — W. Jay. 



Fond earth ! proportion not my seeming love 

To my long stay. Let not my thoughts deceive me. 

Thou art my prison, and my home's above ; 
My life's a preparation but to leave thee. 

Like one that seeks a door, I walk about thee. 

With thee I cannot live ; I cannot live without thee ! 



ii. 10. 




— QlTAKLES. 



206 



JUL Y 17. 



They are without fault before the throne of God.— 
Rev. xiv. 5. 

"T~S not this a most glorious prospect and portion for 



JL the believer ? Am I looking forward to it as my 
own? And am I living a life of preparation for the 
blessedness thus promised to the faithful? Do I so 
trust in Christ, and so live a life of conformity to his 
will, as through grace to be fitted for heaven, as 
through the divine mercy and promise I may have a 
title to it ? Does the expectation of coming glory 
encourage me to be faithful unto death? 



Here is the heir, yonder the inheritance: here the 
toil, there the rest ; here the candidate, there the 
reward ; here the faithful unto death, there the crown 
of everlasting life. In proportion as we grow in ex- 
cellence, so as not to be barren or unfruitful in God's 
service, so shall an entrance be ministered to us 
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord 
Tesus Christ. — J. Hamilton. 



I shine in the light of God ; 

His likeness adorns my brow 
Through the valley of death my feet have trod, 

And I reign in glory now ! 
I am one of the angel band, 

To my head a crown is given ; 
And a harp of praise is in my hand ; 

I have found the joy of heaven ! 




JULY 18. 



207 



Who also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word, — ■ 
Luke x. 39. 

"Y~YT"ITH a docile and childlike spirit, do I sit at 



V V the feet of Jesus, always desiring to be taught 
by him ? Have I given myself up to his guidance, in 
duty here, and to heaven hereafter? Have I chosen 
that good part which shall never be taken away from 
me ? Do I guard against the influence of the world, 
and self, and sin, that I may not be led away from the 
Saviour ? Do I earnestly pray for more of his Spirit ? 
Am I humble, teachable, prayerful, faithful to live near 
to him ? 



Our sitting at Christ's feet when we hear his word, sig- 
nifies a readiness to receive his teachings, and the entire 
resignation of ourselves to the guidance of them. We 
must either sit at his feet, or be made his footstool. 
But if we sit with him at his feet now, we shall sit 
with him on his throne shortly. — Matthew Henry. 

By these things examine yourselves. By whose 
rules am I acting ; in whose strength ; in whose name ; 
for whose glory? What faith, humility, self-denial, 
and love of God, and Christ, has there been in all my 
actions? — J. Mason. 



In suffering, be thy love my peace ; 

In weakness, be thy love my power; 
And when the storms of life shall cease, 

Jesus, in that momentous hour, 
In death, as life, be thou my guide, 
And save me, who for me hast died ! 




208 



JULY 19. 



Be not conformed to this world; but be ye trans- 
formed by the renewing of your mind. — Rom. xii. 2. 
T^^v 0 I endeavor, as commanded, to come out from 



1 J the world and be separate from its evil, that 
God may receive me as one of his sons or daugh- 
ters? Do I watch against its wrong principles, its 
false maxims, its foolish fashions, its sinful pleasures 
and allurements ? Do I so enthrone God in my heart, 
that I have no desire for the portion which the world 
offers? Do I watch against the first beginnings of 
evil, going at once to God for help, lest the thought of 
sin may lead to its commission ? Is God in all my 
thoughts ? 

If thou art eager for the world, thy hope is either 
false, or at best very feeble. — Bishop Jewell. 

The world has its pleasures, and they are many, and 
for the time seem to satisfy, but they are unsubstan- 
tial and transitory, and they leave a sting behind. 
We are hungry, and it offers us bread; but it is 
poisoned bread. We are thirsty, and it offers us 
drink ; but it is from deadly fountains. It may 
satisfy for the moment ; but there is death in it at 
the end. Only the Bread of life, and the water of 
salvation, can satisfy and for ever fill the soul. 



Unclasp, 0 man, the siren hand of pleasure, 
Shun the world's sins ; let her gay follies go ; 

A few swift years will bring the unwelcome ending ; 
Then leaving earth, ah ! whither dost thou go ? 
Is it to endless joy, or endless woe ? 




JULY 20. 



209 



Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the 
world, — Matt, xxviii. 20. 

DO I realize that Christ is always present with his 
people, both by his omnipresence and by his 
Spirit? Does the consciousness of this ever-abiding 
presence, give me rest and peace ? Do I rejoice that 
God knows all my thoughts and feelings, and that 
nothing can happen to me without his knowledge, 
and his providence ? If, at times, his presence seems 
veiled from me, do I remember that he is still with 
me ? And are my faith and hope still fixed on him ? 



One of the most important and difficult things to 
realize, is, that God is really with us, watching the 
working of every human sympathy, with the anxious 
interest of a father, and ever willing to direct and 
help. — Gordon. 

The thought that Christ is always with us, to cheer 
and help, should not engender sloth, or a lack of 
watchfulness ; but rather quicken us to renewed dil- 
igence in his service, for we work beneath his eye ; 
and should lead to a more careful watchfulness, lest 
we do anything to grieve his loving heart. — J. Mason. 



0 Tower of strength, Kedeemer, Friend, 

Defend us by thy power ; 
And till we reach our journey's end, 

Uphold us every hour. 
Each step we venture in advance, 

Is still by paths unknown ; 

But we are safe at every stage, 

If guarded from thy throne ! 
14 



210 



JULY 21. 



If we ash anything according to his will, he heareth 
us. — 1 John v. 14. 



0 I see and feel the full force of the word " any- 



JL/ thing ;; in this promise ; and that nothing is so 
trivial, or of so little moment, that I may not bring it 
to God in prayer? Do I, in all my petitions, cheer- 
fully submit my will and desires, to his most holy and 
wise will ? Do I pray with confidence, knowing that 
as God has promised, he will hear and answer the 
petitions of his children ? If an answer is not at once 
granted, do I with patience and faith wait for it ? 

Every accepted prayer, is not immediately an an- 
swered prayer. — Matthew Hexey. 

Never was a faithful pra}-er lost. Some have a 
longer voyage than others, but they come back with 
richer lading. — Geenall. 

Does it not show the fullness of Christ that he 
graciously promises to hear, to the utmost, all the 
petitions of his people? As nature contains a full- 
ness to give us all that we need for this life, so Christ 
has a fullness for all that we need for the soul. — 
J. Bate. 



Go to him with all your needs. 
!No believer vainly pleads, 
Who before the Saviour's throne, 
Makes his wants and weakness known. 
Ere your trembling lips can speak, 
Jesus knows the boon you seek ; 
All that you would fain receive, 
Beadier far is he to give. — Hoet. 




JULY 22. 



211 



Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters. — Isa. 
xxxii. 20. 

AS the field is the world, am I sowing precious 
seed in it, hoping, through the divine blessing, 
for a harvest of good ? Do I seek for occasions to speak 
for Christ? Does my example speak? Does my 
light continually shine ? If at times discouraged, do 
I remember the promise, that " he that goeth forth 
weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come 
again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him"? 
Do I endeavor " not to be weary in well-doing/' know- 
ing that "in due season I shall reap if I faint not" ? 

There are tears which are themselves the seed we 
must sow ; tears of sorrow for sin — our own, and that 
of others ; and tears of tenderness in prayer. — Mat- 
thew Henry. 

Let us be an example of godliness ; a light to them 
who are in darkness. Let not the name of God be 
evil spoken of through us : his name is holy. — Bishop 

Jewell. ■ 

Sow with a generous hand ; 

Pause not for toil or pain ; 
"Weary not in the summer's heat, 

Nor through the cold spring rain ; 
But patiently wait till the autumn comes, 

For the sheaves of golden grain. 
Sow, and by faith look upward, 

Where the starry light appears ; 
For in joy you shall reap the harvest, 
You have sown to-day in tears. 

—A. Procter. 



212 



JUL Y 28. 



For God shall bring every work into judgment, with 
every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be 
evil. — Eccles. xii. 14. 

AM I living, habitually, with, both worlds in view, 
endeavoring to serve God faithfully, here, in all 
the duties of life, and so to be prepared to give up my 
account to him with joy and not with grief? Repent- 
ing of sin, have I come by faith to Christ, so that I 
can now look to him as my Saviour, as well as judge ? 
Do I, in all things, remember my stewardship ? My 
time, talents, influence, wealth, all that I have and am, 
do I regard as belonging to God, and to be faithfully 
used for him ? 



In the day of final judgment, every one of us must 
answer for himself. No one then can assume our 
guilt, or bear our responsibilities. The divine charge 
to each one of us, is " occupy till I come." Whether 
God has given us one, or five, or ten talents, the call 
will soon be heard, " give an account of thy steward- 
ship." We should strive so to live, that we may not 
then hear the fearful addition, M Thou mayest no 
longer be steward !" * 

Time was ; is past ; thou canst not it recall. 
Time is ; thou hast it ; wisely use it all. 
Time future, is not : it may never be. 
Time present, is the only time for thee. 
Improve it well ; the judgment hastens on ; 
Soon must thou give account for all things done 1 



JUL Y 24. 



213 



Because I live, ye shall live also. — John xiv. 19. 
"\0 I realize that my Saviour is still living; and 



S J that from his home in heaven, he watches, with 
the most tender and loving interest, for the welfare 
and comfort of his children ? Do I feel that my life, 
as a Christian, is bound up with his life ; that nothing 
shall separate me from his love ; that as I live in him 
here, so I shall live with him for ever hereafter ? Does 
this blessed assurance lead me to live for him now, 
and to look forward, with joyous hope, to endless 
union with him in heaven? 



Christ is that to the Christian, which his home is to 
the weary traveler; it is his dwelling-place, the stay, 
the solace, the joy and centre and rest of his spirit ; 
and hence he is constantly anticipating his arrival at 
home. — Kobeet Hall. 

Believer ! this promise of Jesus is thy title-deed to 
heaven. His life is the guarantee of thine own. With 
him for your life, how inviolate your security ! Satan 
must first pluck the crown from that glorified head, 
ere he can touch one jewel in the crown of his people. 
■ — Macduff. 

Oh, heaven is nearer than ever we think, 

As we look, with a trembling dread, 
At the misty future that stretches on, 

From the silent home of the dead. 
For the eye of the Christian that shuts in death, 

Will open at once in bliss ; 
And the welcome will sound in the heavenly world, 

Ere the farewell is hushed in this ! — Robinson. 




214 



JULY 25. 



Vain man would be wise. — Job xi. 12. 
0 I see and avoid the vanity and folly of striving 



_J * to comprehend what is inscrutable to mere finite 

wisdom, leaving to eternity to make plain, what now 
I may not understand? Do I look away from the 
mysteries of providence, and the dark things of this 
world, to the simple teachings of divine truth, and 
the plain requirements of commanded duty ? Casting 
aside all high and self-exalting thoughts, am I willing, 
as a little child, to be taught of God? Do I remember 
that God is infinite, and I am finite ? Do I seek, as 
the great thing, to be made wise unto salvation? 



Pry not too curiously into the secrets of divine 
providence, nor suffer your shallow reason arrogantly 
to judge and censure its designs. — Flavel. 

Every particle of matter is an immensity; every 
leaf, a world ; every insect an inexplicable compend- 
ium. How, then, can we comprehend all the myste- 
ries of truth, and all the ways of the infinite God ? 
— Lavater. 



Deep in unfathomable mines, 

Of never failing skill, 
God treasures up his wise designs, 

And works his sovereign will. 
Blind unbelief is sure to err, 

And scan his work in vain ; 
God is his own interpreter, 

And he will make it plain. — Cowper 




JULY 26. 



215 



I am crucified with Christ. — Gal. ii. 20. 

HAVE I, through the cross, been crucified to the 
power of sin, so that I am dead to self and the 
world, but alive unto God ? Though living, to outward 
appearance, as others live, am I influenced by higher 
motives, and actuated by a nobler principle of action, 
even faith in Christ as my Saviour? Does this lead me 
while living in the flesh, yet not to live after the flesh, 
but as a faithful follower of a divine Master? With 
Paul, can I say, "For me to live, is Christ''? 



A Christian is the highest style of man. — -Young. 

Christianity is being like-minded with Christ ; con- 
sidering him our sanctification as well as our redemp- 
tion. It is endeavoring to live to him here, that we 
may live with him hereafter. — H. Moee. 

There are those who hear or speak of being crucified 
with Christ, who yet do not examine if their sins are 
crucified, and their evil passions mortified. Gladly 
would they have their end like that of the Christian, 
but not their way. They would be saints in heaven, 
but not on earth. — Flavel. 



Oh crucify this self, that I 

No more, but Christ In me, may live; 
Bid all my vile affections die, 

Nor let one hateful sin survive. 
In all things nothing may I see, 
Nothing desire, or seek, but thee ! 



216 



JUL Y 27. 



This do in remembrance of me. — Luke xxii. 19. 
ITH what feelings do I come to the Lord's 
table ? Is it as a contrite, humble sinner, 
haying no merit or strength of my own, but resting 
on Christ, by faith, for pardon, acceptance, strength 
for duty, and final salvation? Do I come with de- 
vout gratitude for all that Christ has clone and prom- 
ised, consecrating myself afresh to him, and asking 
his presence, and guidance, and comfort, in all the 
events of life? As he has died for me, do I here 
form fresh purposes of living for him? 



The holy communion was appointed to be observed 
in remembrance of Christ ; to keep fresh in our minds 
his dying for us, as well as to remind us of an absent 
friend, even Christ, interceding for us, in A'irtue of 
his death, at God's right hand. — Matthew Hexey. 

The sacrament of the Lord's Supper has a threefold 
aspect. It is a privilege to be enjoyed ; a duty to be 
performed; and a means of grace to the Christian, to 
encourage and strengthen him in the divine life. In 
it Christ graciously meets his children, and gives them 
a foretaste of endless communion with him in heaven. 



Heavenward ever bound I haste, 
When thy table, Lord, is spread ; 

Heavenly strength on earth I taste, 
Feeding on the living bread. 

Life, and light, and joy combined. 

In the Saviour here I find. 




JULY 28. 



217 



We know that all things work together for good to 
them that love God. — Bom. viii. 28. 

DOES the love of God so reign within me, that 
all his providences are working out my spiritual 
good? Do I see the hand of God in them all? If 
joyous, do they lead me, in devout thankfulness, to 
him ? Or if trying and grievous, do they bring me in 
humility and childlike submission to his feet, with the 
feeling that he knows what is best, and is ordering all 
in infinite wisdom and love, and that what I know not 
now, I shall know hereafter ? 



If we see or feel sorrow, let us not be depressed ; for 
the end of his counsel and working lieth hidden and 
underneath the ground ; but as seed it shall spring up 
and bear a harvest of joy and blessedness to all that 
love God. * 

Either directly or indirectly, every providence has a 
tendency to the spiritual good of those who love God ; 
breaking them off from sin, bringing them nearer to 
the Saviour, weaning them from the world, and fitting 
them for heaven. — Matthew Heney. 



Go, then, earthly fame and pleasure ; 

Come disaster, scorn, and pain ! 
In thy service pain is pleasure ; 

With thy favor loss is gain ! 
I have called thee Abba, Father ! 

I have stayed my heart on thee ! 
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, 

All must work for good to me ! — H. E. Lyte. 



218 



JULY 29. 



Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the 
upright in heart. — Ps. xcvii. 11. 
" 1 1THEN trials and troubles gather in darkness on 



V V my path, do I remember that light is sown for 
me by my heavenly Father, and the seed will, in due- 
time, spring up and bear the fruit of joy and gladness for 
my soul ? Is this a comfort in the darkest hour of life ? 
Though the clouds may gather and thicken, do I re- 
member that the Sun of righteousness is behind them, 
and that they will soon break away, and its light and 
warmth cheer my heart ? 



Light is sown in the vale of fogs. Though often 
hidden for a time, seed-like, under the dark clouds of 
sorrow, it is only taking root in the chastened heart, 
and will soon appear, and bring forth the flowers to 
bloom, and the fruit to ripen in the garden of God. 

Nothing doth so establish the mind amid the rolling 
and turbulency of present things as to look above and 
beyond them ; above, to the steady and loving Hand by 
which they are ruled; and beyond them, to the light 
that is shining behind the clouds, and to the blessed 
home to which that divine Hand is leading us. 



Lord, we sit and cry to thee, 
Like the blind beside the way ; 

Make our darkened souls to see, 
Brightness of thy perfect day ! 

Lord, rebuke our sullen night ; 

Give thyself unto our sight ! 

Then thy joy our souls shall fill, 

As we haste to do thy will ! 




JULY 80. 



219 



The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit : a broken 
unci a contrite heart, 0 God, thou wilt not despise.— 
Ps. li. 17. 

nn\0 I remember that all sincere repentance must 



in humility, and in true sorrow for sin? Is my heart 
broken, not in despair, but in deep humiliation for my 
sins as committed against a holy and loving God ? Am 
I softened under the word of God, and the power of his 
Holy Spirit ; filled with the spirit of obedience to the 
divine will ; brought back, in penitence and faith, to love 
and serve him? 



It is the crushed olive that yields the oil ; the pressed 
grape, that gives forth the wine ; and ifc was the smitten 
rock that gave the people water. So it is the broken, 
contrite heart, that is most rich in holiness, and most 
fragrant in grace. 

The bruised reed is an expressive emblem of the 
soul broken and contrite on account of sin, and weep- 
ing and mourning for transgression. Christ will not 
break it, that is, he will not be unforgiving and cruel. 
He will heal it, pardon it, and give it strength. — 
A. Baenes. 



A broken heart, my God, my King, 
Is all the sacrifice I bring. 
The God of grace will ne'er despise, 
A broken heart for sacrifice. 
Thy holy joys, my God, restore, 
And guard me that I fall no more ! 

—Watts. 




manifest in the life 



220 



JULY 31. 



Let your light so slime before men, that they may 
see your good works, and glorify your Father ivhich is 
in heaven. — Matt. v. 16. 
| ^\ 0 I not only love the truth which God has re- 



I J vealed, but do I endeavor to live the life which 
his word enjoins? Thus do I seek not only to glorify 
God myself, but to lead others to do the same ? Do I 
bear in mind that the proof of God's grace being in my 
heart, is its effect on my life; and that a holy example 
may influence, when calls of divine truth might other- 
wise be unheard or disregarded ? Do I endeavor so to 
live that all may safely follow my example ? 



" Even miracles," says Neancler, M could not have 
given Christianity a firm hold on human nature, if it 
had not penetrated by its divine power, and thus shown 
itself to be that which alone can satisfy the higher 
necessities of man. This divine power of the gospel 
revealed itself to the heathen in the lives of Christians. 
The announcement of the gospel by the life, operated 
even more powerfully than its announcement by the 
word. 11 



If you have not gold and silver 

Ever ready at command ; 
If you cannot, toward the needy, 

Reach an ever-open hand ; 
You can visit the afflicted ; 

O'er the erring you can weep ; 
You can be a true disciple, 

Sitting at the Saviour's feet. 




— F. Crosby. 



AUGUST 1. 



221 



Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. — 1 Sam. vii. 12. 
HEN I have prayed earnestly for the divine 
guidance and blessing, and prayer has been 
manifestly answered, am I equally earnest to acknow- 
ledge God's goodness, and to return the sacrifice of 
grateful praise to him ? Am I on the watch to raise 
my Ebenezers? Do I, from the past, take fresh -en- 
couragement for the future ? More and more do I feel 
my dependence, and rejoice to be led, in all things, by 
the divine Hand ? 



Real faith is as satisfied, and rests as firmly on the 
abiding promises of Jehovah, as if it had all the bless- 
ings of grace and glory in hand. — Toplady. 

They who make the glory of God their end, and the 
word of God their rule ; the Spirit of God the guide 
of their affections, and the providence of God the 
guide of their affairs, may be confident that the Lord 
goes before them, as truly as he went before Israel in 
the wilderness, though not as sensibly. — Matthew 
Henry. 



Come, rouse thee, faint one, 'tis not well 
Thus darkly on life's cares to dwell. 
As brooks and torrents, rivers, all 
Increase the gulf in which they fall, 
Such thoughts, by gathering up the rills 
Of lesser griefs, spread real ills ; 
And with their gloomy shades conceal, 
The landmarks hope would else reveal. 

— Dinnie. 




222 



A UG UST 2. 



The Son of man is come to seek and save that which 
was lost. — Luke xix. 10. 
I A 0 I realize the wondrous truth, that the blessed 



■ J Saviour left heaven to seek and save, on earth, 
those who not only did not seek him, but who were at 
enmity to him ? Do I feel that I was one of those lost 
ones ; and do I thankfully acknowledge the power of 
Christ to save, and for ever bless his name that I trust 
he has saved me? Do I endeavor to lead others to him, 
and to extend the knowledge of his salvation to the 

ends of the earth ? ■ 

Though all around may frown on the vilest sinner, 
and an accusing conscience within may condemn him, 
yet the gospel of Christ invites him to return to God 
against whom he has sinned, offering him free forgive- 
ness and eternal life, if he will but come and receive 
them. 

What a marvelous salvation is this ! Christ takes a 
worm of the dust, and transforms it into an angel ; a 
black and deformed thing, and makes it clean and 
matchless in glory, peerless in beauty, and fit to be 
the companion of seraphs ! Oh, my soul, stand and 
admire this blessed truth of salvation by Christ. — ■ 
Spurgeon. 



Just as I am, without one plea, 
But that thy blood was shed for me, 
And that thou bidst me come to thee, 

0 Lamb of God, I come ! 
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind, 
Sight, riches, healing of the mind, 
Yea, all I need, in thee to find, 

0 Lamb of God, I come ! 

— C. Elliott. 




AUGUST 3. 



223 



Whoso keepeth his mouth and tongue, keepeth his 
soul from troubles. — Peov. xxi. 23. 

T^v 0 I bear in mind how often the tongue is spoken 



, 1 J of in the Bible, and how strongly the right use 
of it is impressed on all ? Do I realize what thought- 
fulness, prudence, sound judgment, and kind feeling 
are requisite, if I would avoid speaking for evil, and 
always speak for good ? Is it my earnest prayer, that 
God would enable me to keep the door of my lips ? 
Do I always endeavor to speak in the fear of God, 
and in love to man ? 



Give not thy tongue too great liberty, lest it take 
thee prisoner. A word unspoken, is, like the sword 
in the scabbard, thine ; if vented, thy sword is in the 
hand of another. If thou desire to be held wise, be 
so wise as to hold thy tongue. — Quaeles. 

By examining the tongue of a patient, physicians 
find out the disease of the body ; and philosophers, 
diseases of the mind and heart. — Justin. 



Beware the tongue that's set on fire of hell, 
And flames in slander, falsehood, or deceit ; 
In malice, idle talking, thoughtless tales. 
Speak not too much ; nor without thought ; be true 
In all things. He that in word offends not, 
God hath declared a perfect man ; while he 
That bridles not his tongue, deceives himself, 
And shows his faith is vain ! * 




224 



A UG UST 4. 



Though it tarry, wait for it. — Hab. ii. 3. 
"HEX I have been praying to God, asking his 



> V guidance, or support, do I, like the Psalmist, 
look up in hopeful expectation that he will answer my 
prayer, though it may not be in the way that to me 
might seem best ? Do I realize that he has an ap- 
pointed time for his work ; and that he will do it when 
that time comes ? Do I patiently wait for his answer ? 
And do I feel 6ure, because he has promised, that 
though the answer may tarry, it will come ? 



The answer to prayer may be delayed. Your sup- 
plications may seem to be kept long on the wing, 
hovering around the mercy-seat, God sometimes sees 
fit thus to test the faith and patience of his children. 
But the answer will come at last; and it shall be 
plain. 

"When our blessed Lord, in his agony, prayed more 
earnestly, lo ! an angel descended from heaven, to 
strengthen him. And we may assure ourselves, that 
whensoever we pray according to his will, we shall be 
answered and strengthened according to his promise. 
— Aexdt. 



There is a time to wait ; 

Let us that time abide ; 
God's hand of love will bless, though late ; 

Those who in him confide. 
His promise stands for ever sure. 
His love and faithfulness endure. 




A UG UST 5. 



225 



Behold I lay in Zion, a chief corner-stone, elect, 
precious ; and he that believeth on him, shall not be 
confounded. — 1 Pet. ii. 6. 

TH\ 0 I regard Christ Jesus as the chief corner-stone 



I J of the Church on earth — the only sure founda- 
tion of all my hopes for time and eternity? Do I 
look to him, as the refuge and support of all his 
people ; their strong rock, to which to cling when the 
blasts of unbelief, or the storms of sorrow assail? 
Do I rest solely on him as the only and all-sufficient Sa- 
viour, looking to him, by faith, for all that I need for 
time and eternity ? _____ 

The believer's faith in Jesus, is his sure guarantee 
for all that he needs. As the tree must die, or the 
rock fall, before a dissolution can be effected between 
them, so the believer must lose his hold on the spirit- 
ual life, or the rock must crumble, ere the union can 
be dissolved. — J. Bate. 

We are poor, but Christ is rich ; we are dead, but he 
is life ; we are sin, but he is righteousness ; we are 
guilty, but he is grace ; we are miserable, but he is 
mercy ; we are lost, but he is salvation. He ever 
lives ; ever loves ; ever pities ; ever pleads. He loves 
to the uttermost, and saves all who come to him. — 
J. Mason. 

On thee, as on a sure foundation, 

A sure tried corner-stone, 

Lord, I will strive to raise 

The tower of my salvation, and thy praise. 

In thee, as in my glorious centre, shall 

The lines of all my dearest longings fall. 




— Quaeles. 



15 



226 



A UG UST 6. 



Himself took our infitrrfiiies. — Matt. viii. 17. 

IS it not an unspeakable comfort to feel that our 
divine Redeemer once knew, in his own ex- 
perience, our troubles and sufferings; that he was 
not only in all points tempted like as we are, but that 
he was hungry, and thirsty, and weary, and heavy 
laden, and troubled in spirit, and very sorrowful? 
"When troubles and trials oppress, do I realize that 
my Saviour who is in heaven, is the same Man of 
sorrows who suffered on earth, and that he know T s our 
wants, and will grant us all we need if we will but 
come and ask it ? 



It is a glorious thought, that we have in heaven 
One we can think of, know, believe, love, delight in ; 
bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh ; one who can 
be and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities ; 
who died to make satisfaction, and lives to make in- 
tercession for us. We are on his shoulders, to have 
our burdens borne for us : we are near his heart, that 
he may both die and live for us. — Nichol. 



Touched with a sympathy divine, 

He knows our feeble frame ; 
He knows what sore temptations mean, 

For he has felt the same. 
Then let our humble faith address, 

His mercy and his power ; 
We shall obtain deli\ T ering grace, 

For every trying hour. — Watts. 



A UG UST 7. 



227 



And now, little children, abide in him. — 1 John ii. 28. 
~T~ A 0 I feel, constantly, my dependence on Christ, and 



I J endeavor to cherish the spirit of constant com- 
munion with him ? Does my regard to his word, prove 
that I abide in it ? Do I abide in his merit, as my 
righteousness ; and in his Spirit, as my Sanctifier and 
Guide and Comforter ? Do I realize that if I do not 
abide in the Saviour, my life will be fruitless, and my 
hopes unfounded? Is it my earnest prayer that Christ 
will always abide in me ? 



The Lord Jesus is the safe refuge of the soul in all 
the storms of life. He is the secret place of the Most 
High ; and all who are in him, dwell under the shadow 
of the Almighty. Eternal safety and comfort are in 
him ; and it is in vain for us to seek them anywhere 
else. — Kees. 

They that truly believe, have Christ in their hearts, 
heaven in their eye, and the world under their feet. 
God's Spirit is their guide ; his fear, their guard ; his 
people, their companions ; his promises, their cordials ; 
holiness is their way ; and heaven is their home. — 
J. Mason. 



Christian, this thy motto be, 
Jesus says, " Abide with me." 
Grace and strength from him receive ; 
As a branch in Jesus live. 
Sanctified in him thou art ; 
Sanctify him in thy heart. 




228 



A UG UST 8. 



Trust in the Lord, and do good. — Ps. xxxvii. 3. 



0 I keep to the order of the command here given ; 



1 S first trust in the Lord, and then, as his servant, 
do good ? Do I do good to my own soul by endeavor- 
ing to know, and love, and live for God, to please him 
and be pleased in him ? Do I endeavor to do good to 
others, by seeking to win them to the Saviour, and by 
doing all in my power for their welfare and happiness ? 
Do I sympathize with others, and do to them as I would 
have them do to me ? Do I so live as to commend re- 
ligion to all, as not only the way of safety, but of happi- 
ness for both worlds ? 

To rejoice in the happiness of others, is to make it 
our own; to produce it, is to make it more than our 
own. — J. A. James. 

We must not think to trust God, and then live as 
we list. It is not trusting but tempting him if we dr» 
not make conscience of our duty to him. Nor must 
we think to do good, and then trust to ourselves, and 
to our own righteousness and strength. We must trust 
in the Lord, and do good. — Matthew Henry. 



That man may last, but never lives, 
Who much receives, but nothing gives ; 
Whom none can love, whom none can thank, 
Creation's blot, creation's blank. 
But he that marks, from day to day, 
In generous acts, his radiant way, 
Treads the same path his Saviour trod, 
The path to glory and to God. 




AUGUST 9. 



229 



If any man will come after me, let him deny him- 
self, and take up his cross, and follow me. — Matt. 
xvi. 24. 

T^vO I thus follow Christ, like him taking up my 



1 J daily cross, and bearing it patiently for his 
sake? Do I receive the truth he teaches; endeavor 
to do what he commands ; and cherish the spirit he 
enjoins? Do I follow him fully, sincerely, with a 
ready heart, and a firm purpose; not halting at 
difficulties that may be in the way, but trusting to 
his power to make every way plain before me ? Am 
I content to wait for my rest till the conflict is over ? 



The more we deny ourselves, the more shall we 
obtain from God. — Hoeace. 

We are not to make, or seek crosses for ourselves ; 
but as God lays them in our path we are to take them 
up willingly, and bear them cheerfully, if we would be 
preparing for the crown. Where there are no crosses, 
there are few comforts ; where no trials, few consola- 
tions and supports. * 

Tell me not of gain or loss, 

Ease, enjoyment, pomp, or power; 
Welcome poverty and cross, 

Shame, reproach, affliction's hour; 
" Follow me \" I know thy voice; 

Jesus, Lord, thy steps I see ; 
Now I take thy yoke by choice ; 

Light thy burden, now, to me ! 




— Montgomery. 



230 



AUGUST 10. 



Let all bitterness and . . . evil speaking be put 
away from you. — Eph. iv. 31. 

DO I ever indulge in uncandid or harsh judgments 
of others ? And as flowing from, or leading to 
them, do I ever speak evil of others ? Or if I do not 
speak, do I listen in silence, or with complacency, when 
others so speak, and thus give countenance to what they 
say? In thought as well as word, do I endeavor to 
keep my conscience free from the sin of judging oth- 
ers ? Has charity, in the broadest sense, taken up her 
dwelling-place in my heart ? 



Those are the best Christians, who are more careful to 
reform themselves, than to censure others. — Fuller. 

In judging ourselves, we cannot be too severe ; in 
judging others, we cannot be too candid and chari- 
table. We judge ourselves by our motives, but others 
by their actions. — W. Nevins. 

A judicious silence, is better than truth spoken 
without charity. — De Sales. 



What grace, 0 Lord, and beauty shone 

Around thy steps below ! 
What patient love was seen in all 

Thy life, and death of woe ! 
Oh, give us hearts to love like thee ; 

Like thee, 0 Lord, to grieve 
Far more for others' sins, than all 

The wrongs that we receive. 



AUGUST 11. 



231 



Search me, 0 God, and know my heart. — Ps. 
cxxxix. 23. 

IS it my earnest desire to know myself, and to see 
my heart as God sees it ? Do I pray that he 
will make known to me every wrong thought, and 
motive, and feeling, which might otherwise escape my 
notice, so that every day I may turn from sin, and 
gain fresh strength for pressing on in the divine life ? 
While confessing my sinfulness in general, am I will- 
ing to know my particular and individual sins ; and 
do I desire and seek to know them, that I may turn 
from them ? Do I long for holiness of heart and life ? 



We must judge of our religion by examining its 
foundation, in Christ without, and in the heart within. 
If that be wrong and baseless, the superstructure is 
perishable and worthless. — Flavel. 

It is not so much the great sins that take the fresh- 
ness from our conscience, as the numberless petty 
faults which we are all the while committing. 

When sin lets us alone, we may let sin alone ; but 
till then, we are to carry on the warfare against it, 
both without and within, till God shall at last give 
us the victory in heaven. 



Search me, O Lord, and try the thoughts 
That dwell within my heart ; 

Whate'er of sin may there be found, 
Oh, bid it all depart. 

Let thy good Spirit dwell with me, 

And form my soul a house for thee. 



232 



AUGUST 12, 



All these things have I kept, from my youth up. 
What lack I yet?— Matt. xix. 20. 

DO I understand, and feel, that mere morality is 
not enough to save me ; but that in penitence 
for sin, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, is the only 
way to heaven '? Do I ask that God's Spirit will show 
me my inmost heart, and lead me to turn from every- 
thing that stands between my soul and the Saviour ? 
Am I willing to renounce self-righteousness, and self- 
dependence, and to give up all that would keep me 
back from the cross, and from treading, with faithful 
zeal the narrow way that leads to heaven ? 



The great mistake of my life, said Gerrit Smith to 
his pastor, has been, that I have tried to be moral 
without faith in Christ. But I have now learned that 
true morality can only keep pace with trust in Christ 
as my Saviour. And Bishop Wilson well says, that 
though morality does not make a Christian, no one 
can be a Christian without morality. 



No more., my God. I boast no more, 

Of all the duties I have done ; 
I quit the hopes I held before, 

And trust the merits of thy Son. 
The best obedience of my hands, 

Dares not appear before thy throne ; 
But faith. can answer thy demands, 

By pleading what my Lord hath done. 

— Watts, 



A UG UST 13. 



233 



The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise 
the simple. — Ps. xix, 7. 

I \0 I realize that the word of God is for ever sure ; 



1 J that we may give full credit to all its teachings, 
and may rely upon it, knowing that it will never mis- 
lead or deceive us ? Do I take it as the sure guide to 
all truth, and to all duty ; to holiness here, and to 
heaven hereafter ? Has it made me wise unto salva- 
tion ? Do I commend it to all, as the source of their 
belief, and the guide of their conduct ? Do I seek 
to extend the knowledge of it to all who are destitute ? 



The Kev. James W. Alexander, D. D.. began his 
Thirty-one Rules on How to Read the Bible with, 
" In all your reading, bear in mind that it is the 
word of God and ended them with the weighty in- 
junction, " In all your reading, remember that it is 
for the salvation of your soul/' 

Other books may make men learned and wise unto 
ostentation ; but only the Bible can make them 
learned and wise unto salvation. — Aeeowsmith. 



Great Sun of righteousness, arise ; 

Bless the dark world with heavenly light ! 
Thy gospel makes the simple wise ; 

Thy laws are pure ; thy judgments right. 
Thy noblest wonders here we view, 

In souls renewed, and sins forgiven. 
Lord, cleanse my sins ; my soul renew ; 

And make thy word my guide to heaven ! 




— Watts. 



234 



AUGUST li. 



Receive, with meekness, the engrafted word, which 
is able to save your souls. — James i. 21. 

DO I come to God's word with freedom from preju- 
dice and preconceived opinions, willing to be 
taught, and earnestly desiring to know just what God 
teaches and commands ? Feeling my ignorance, do I 
come to it for instruction and guidance, believing it all 
to be profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and in- 
struction in righteousness, that through grace I may be 
perfect, thoroughly furnished for all good works ? Do 
I assent to all its truths ; consent to all its laws ; and 
always receive it in a submissive, humble, teachable 
spirit ? 



If you come to God's word in the spirit he requires, 
you will give up many preconceived opinions and 
fondly cherished notions of your own, and unlearn 
much that you have hitherto learned. If you come 
with a childlike, humble, prayerful spirit, God will 
teach you with wisdom from above, and you will find 
his word a lamp to your feet, and a light to your 
path. 



When the blessed volume I peruse, 
And o'er its sacred pages muse. 
Oh, then, thy precious word fulfill, 
And while I seek to learn thy will, 
Draw near, in answer to my prayer, 
And, gracious Saviour, meet me there ! 



AUGUST 15. 



235 



Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. — 1 Sam. iii. 9, 
~T~\ 0 I listen to the voice of God, in his word, in 



1 J his providence, by his Spirit, in all his dealings 
and dispensations ? Do I follow the teachings of that 
voice, humbly and earnestly asking what the Lord 
would have me to think, and feel, and be, and do ? 
Do I desire entire conformity to the divine will, and 
always to be filled with the divine Spirit? Do I 
endeavor to keep down self-will, and to bring it in 
all things into subjection to the will of God? From 
my heart, can I say, " Not my will, but thine be 
done ;; ? __ 

Eeligion, in its rise, interests us almost exclusively 
about ourselves. In its progress, it engages us about 
the welfare of our fellow-men. In its more advanced 
stages, it animates us to look to God's will in all 
things, and to exalt, to the utmost, the honor and 
will of God. — C. Simeon. 

The highest and most acceptable service we can 
render to God, is to be willing either to do or suffer 
his will, as to him may seem best. The former we 
may share with angels and ransomed spirits. The 
latter is reserved for the saints on earth ; and in it 
God manifests himself, with peculiar love and tender- 
ness, to their souls. — Longden. 



Speak to my heart, and let no sage's word, 
No teacher thee beside, explain thy law. 

Let every soul, before thy presence, Lord, 
Bow down before thee, in deep, silent awe, 

And let thy voice — thy voice alone, be heard ! 




236 



A UG UST 16. 



But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. — 2 Pet. iii. 18. 

AM I making progress in religion ? Do I remem- 
ber that where there is life, there is always 
growth ; that there is no standing still in the divine 
life ; and that if not going forward, I am going back- 
ward ? Do I strive to be advancing ; to attain to 
higher and still higher degrees of holiness ; or am I 
satisfied with the progress already made ? Am I for- 
getting the things behind, and continually pressing on 
to those before, to the mark of the prize of the high 
calling of God in Christ Jesus ? 

As for the growth and health of the body there 
must be food, so if we would grow in grace, we must 
feed on the word of God. As the body must have 
air, to breathe, so we must live under the influence of 
the Holy Spirit. As the body must have exercise, so to 
be good, we must do good. As the body must avoid 
the regions of disease and pestilence, so we must keep 
away from worldly and evil influences, and live near to 
God, that our souls may be in health. * 

Labor to know the Lord more clearly and fully; to 
know more of Christ, and to know him to better pur- 
pose, so as to be more like him, and to love him 
better. — Matthew Heney. 

May we daily grow in grace ; 
Faithful run the heavenly race, 
Trained by wisdom, led by love, 
Till we reach our rest above ; 
Till we there thy face shall see, 
Blest for ever, Lord, with thee ! 



A UG UST 17. 



237 



There will I meet thee, I will commune with thee 
from above the mercy-seat. — Ex. xxv. 22. 

AM I faithful to the precious privilege God grants 
to his people, of meeting him at the mercy- 
seat, and there conversing with him as a friend with a 
friend ? There do I spread before him all my wants, 
and difficulties, and troubles, asking for grace and 
strength, to do or suffer, as to him may seem best? 
Am I as earnest and full of faith in speaking to God, 
as I would be in speaking to an earthly friend ? Do 
I bear in mind his own declaration and promise, that 
according to my faith the blessing shall be ? 



It is not the length, but the strength of prayer that 
is required ; not the labor of the life, but the travail 
of the heart, that prevails with God. Let thy words 
be few, but full and to the purpose. — I. S. Spencer. 

Frequent prayer is a most natural remedy against 
sin. — Bishop Wilson. 

The best and sweetest flowers of Paradise, God gives 
to his people when they are on their knees in the 
closet. Prayer, if not the very gate of heaven, is the 
key to let us in to its holiness and its joys. — T. Brooks. 



When to the closet I repair, 
To breathe my soul's desires in prayer, 
When bending low at Jesus' feet, 
I look toward the mercy- seat, 
This promise, Lord, shall be my plea, 
" There, suppliant, I will meet with thee." 



238 



AUGUST 18. 



Be not weary in well doing. — 2 Thess. iii. 13. 
\ 0 I keep in mind, continually, the fact, that this 



i J life is a warfare, and that I am to follow the 
great Captain of salvation faithfully to the end ? And 
when weary and discouraged in the conflict, do I look 
to him for courage and strength to persevere ? Does 
earnest prayer begin and accompany my daily war- 
fare ? However valiantly I fight, do I look for victory 
only through my Saviour's grace ? 



Presumption is heart-whole and self-confident, and 
so off its guard. But faith has a sense of weakness, 
and looks to the promises, and seeing the face of Christ 
therein, is made bold and confident to fight manfully 
to the end. — Rutherford. 

Faith evermore overlooks the difficulties of the way, 
and bends her eyes only to the end. She looks back 
to the cross and is at peace ; and forward to the crown 
and pants for its possession. — Bishop Hall. 



Teach me to live ! 'Tis easier far to die, 

Gently and silently to pass away ; 
On earth's long night to close the weary eye, 

And waken to the coming glorious day. 
Teach me that harder lesson, how to live, 

To serve thee in the darkest ways of life ; 
Arm me for conflict, now fresh vigor give, 

And make me conqueror in the holy strife ! 




A UG U8T 19. 



239 



My word shall not return unto me void. — Isa. lv. 11. 
~TT"T~HEN trying to do good, and seeing no imme- 



V V diate fruits of our labors, is not here a word 
of encouragement ? Is it not comforting to have the 
divine assurance, that every good word spoken, every 
Christian effort put forth, every holy life lived, shall 
not be lost, but bring forth fruit? Is this thought an 
incentive to speak for God with loving and prayerful 
earnestness, and to endeavor so to live as to honor him 
and lead others to him ? 



The difficulties with which we meet as laborers in 
God's vineyard, instead of discouraging, should stimu- 
late to greater diligence, to more fervent prayer, to the 
more diligent study of God's word, and to the assur- 
ance, because he has promised, that his word shall not 
return unto him void. * 

Since the world began, no true work for God was 
ever wasted ; no true word spoken for him has ever 
failed of doing good ; no true life has ever been in vain. 
The seed sown may not rise in a moment, but there is 
immortal vitality in it, and the harvest shall be sure. 



By the light of day, or in shades of night, 

We must sow by faith, and not by sight. 

And though all around may seem drear and dark, 

Hope sends, through the promise, its glimmering spark. 

Fear not, for that faint and scarce visible ray, 

Shall expand to the light of an endless day ! 




240 



A UG UST 20. 



Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth 
himself, even as he is pure. — 1 John iii. 3. 

IF I hope to be for ever with Christ hereafter, must 
I not seek to attain here the character that will 
fit me for the enjoyment of his presence ? Must I not 
study the utmost purity and holiness of heart and life, 
and endeavor daily to be growing in the divine like- 
ness? Do I realize that as I must be justified to have 
a title to heaven, so I must be sanctified to be prepared 
for it ? If I am saved by hope, must I not be purified 
by hope ? 

We are to keep the heart pure, by keeping it in fel- 
lowship with Christ ; to keep the tongue pure, by us- 
ing it only for Christ ; to keep the life pure, by living 
in all things for Christ. In thought, word, feeling, 
action, we should aim at that purity which may make 
us like Christ. — J. Smith. 

By shaking the magnetic needle, you may move it 
from its place ; but it returns to it the moment it is 
left to itself. In like manner, believers may fall into 
sin ; but no sooner do they wake to reflection, than 
they repent, and endeavor to mend their ways, and 
resume a life of godliness. — Gotthold. 

Hast thou the love of Christ 

The Saviour known ? 
The love that passeth knowledge — the rich grace 
That stooped to poverty and death, to place 

Thee on his throne ? 
Then will thy heart be pure ; thy life be given 
To walk with him on earth, with him to reign in 
heaven. 



AUGUST 21. 



241 



The tree is known by his fruit. — Matt. xii. 33. 
\0 I bear in mind that the heart is the fountain, 



_Ly and that its streams flow forth in words, and 
deeds, and habits, and in the entire life ? And by these, 
do I remember that the character will be judged ? Do 
I realize that the truly faithful Christian in this resem- 
bles the Saviour, that he both is good, and does good? 
Am I one that brings forth good fruit ? Does my life 
honor God, and do good to men ? Is my fruit to my- 
self, or to Christ ? 



The hearts of believers are like gardens, wherein are 
not only flowers, but also weeds ; and as the former 
must be cherished, so the latter must be nipped. If 
nothing but showers of promises fell upon the heart, 
the weeds of corruption would grow apace, unless they 
were nipped by the severity of threatenings. — Owen. 

Let us not forget that we are always bearing fruit of 
one kind or another. The good seed of the kingdom is 
springing up and bearing the fruit of holiness unto ever- 
lasting life ; or the evil seed of the world and sin is 
bearing fruit unto everlasting death. By our fruits we 
shall be known and judged, both here and hereafter. — 
T. Bate. 



Christian, wouldst thou fruitful be ? 
Jesus says, "Abide in me." 
From him all thy fruit is found ; 
May it to his praise abound ! 
May he ever dwell with thee, 
So thy life shall fruitful be ! 




16 



242 



A UG UST 22. 



Abstain from all appearance of evil. — 1 Thess. v. 22. 
I \0 I realize that those who shim not the very 



1 J appearance of evil, may soon be led on to evil 
itself; that those who avoid not the temptations and 
approaches to sin, will not long abstain from actually 
committing it? Am I careful to refrain from anything, 
which, though not itself wrong, yet possibly having the 
appearance of wrong, might seem inconsistent in my- 
self, and be a stumbling-block in the way of others? 



The life may speak when the tongue is silent ; and 
to avoid evil is akin to doing good. * 

Be inconsistent, and enmity to the gospel may be 
propagated over a parish. Give occasions of offence, 
and many may fall : those entering the way of life may 
be discouraged ; and those who have already entered, 
may be made to stumble. You cannot live only for 
yourselves. A thousand fibres connect you with your 
fellow-men ; and along those fibres, as sympathetic 
threads, run your actions as causes, and they come 
back to you as effects. — Melvill. 



My gracious Lord, I own thy right 

To every service I can pay ; 
And call it my supreme delight, 

To hear thy dictates and obey. 
'Tis to my Saviour I would live ; 

To him who for my ransom died ; 
Nor can all worldly honor give, 

Such bliss as crowns me at his side. 




-DoDDKIDGE, 



A UG UST 23. 



243 



He giveth power to the faint; and to them that 
have no might he increaseth strength. — Isa. xl. 29. 

IN hours of discouragement, adversity, or trial, do 
I feel the sustaining, power of God's promise, and 
rely as firmly on him then, as in the full sunshine of 
peace and joy ? If such comfort is not present when 
most I need it, is it not from my want of faith and 
trust in that divine Helper who never yet failed any 
who stayed themselves on him ? Is not his promise 
the sure foundation of all the encouragement and 
strength I need, if I will but rely upon it? 



No one can overestimate his own weakness, or the 
strength that comes from dependence on God. * 

Provide for, and help me, 0 Lord ; for this world, 
out of the stores of thy providence ; and in spiritual 
things, out of the fullness there is in Christ. Help me 
in health, that I may not slide ; in sickness, that I 
may not murmur; in plenty, that I may not be 
proud ; in poverty, that I may not complain ; in all 
things, that I may live to thee. — J. Smith. 



Commit thy way to God, 

The weight that makes thee faint ; 
"Worlds are to him no load ; 

To him breathe thy complaint. 
On God alone rely, 

Then shalt thou safe go on : 
Fix on his work thy steadfast eye, 

So shall thy work be done. — Gerhabdt. 



244 



A UG UST 24. 



So run, that ye may obtain. — 1 Cor. ix. 24. 
M I standing still, or pressing forward in the 



am I running the Christian race with the fixed and 
earnest purpose to win the incorruptible crown ? Do 
I watch against the temptations and allurements that 
might beguile me from the way ? Do I remember the 
great cloud of witnesses, and lay aside every weight, 
and guard against the sins that may beset me, and 
still run with patience ? Above all, do I look contin- 
ually to Jesus, and rest all my hopes on him ? 



So live that every failure may be a step to success, 
and every detection of what is wrong, a step to what 
is right. * 

In the kingdom of Christ, where inward character v 
is the prize, no chance can rob earnestness of its due 
success. Sow for time, and you may succeed for 
time. But sow the seeds of life — of humbleness, pure- 
heartedness, and love, and in eternity every minutest 
grain will come up with an increase of thirty, sixty, 
or an hundred fold. — F. W. Robertson. 



Up, Christian up ! thy cares resign ; 
The past, the future, are not thine. 
Show forth to-day the Saviour's praise ; 
Redeem the curse of evil days ; 
Life's shadow, in its lengthening gloom, 
Falls daily nearer to the tomb. 
To Jesus look ; in faith press on ; 
And thine shall be the unfading crown ! 




With the final reward in view, 



AUGUST 25. 



245 



Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is 
good. — Rom. xii. 9. 

T~"\ 0 I abhor sin as evil in itself, as well as from its 



1 J tendency and consequences ? Do I endeavor to 
keep a sensitive and faithful conscience, that shall 
warn me against its first approaches, and lead me to 
shrink from it ? Do I hate and turn from every form 
of sin, because it is offensive to a loving and forgiving 
Father, and grieving to the Holy Spirit, and because 
its every commission crucifies the Son of God afresh ? 
Do I seek to grow in all that is good and holy ? 



We must abhor ourselves for our sins, not from 
mere earthly principles, but for the manifold indigni- 
ties they offer to God ; to the law of his justice, the 
awe of his majesty, the honor of his reverence, the 
dread of his power, and the long-suffering of his love. 
— Bishop Andrews. 

There is more bitterness in sin's ending, than ever 
was sweetness in sin's acting. If Ave see only good in 
its commission, we shall suffer nothing but woe in its 
conclusion. — Dyer. 



Walk in the light ! and sin, abhorred, 

Shall not defile again ; 
The blood of Jesus Christ, the Lord, 

Shall cleanse from every stain. 
Walk in the light ! thy path shall be 

Peaceful, serene, and bright : 
For God, by grace, shall divell in thee, 

And God himself is light ! — Barton, 




246 



AUGUST 26. 



I have blotted out, as a th ick cloud, thy transgres- 
sions, and as a cloud, thy sins. — Isa. xhv. 22. 

HAVE I come to God, by faith in Christ, for that 
pardon which blots ont sin and scatters the 
dark clond that separates between the sonl and him ? 
If so, do I take the comfort he so freely offers ; and in 
humble confidence and joyous trust, do I rest all my 
hopes on him ? Do I look to him as to a father, in 
the spirit of a loving child ? Having much forgiven, 
do I love much ? Do I so live near to him, as always 
to enjoy the light of his countenance? 



If believers have discomfort and uneasiness on ac- 
count of their past sins, as though they were still im- 
puted to them, they are undervaluing the perfectly 
finished work of Christ, and doubting the veracity 
and promise of God. 

Judge of God, not by your own sense, but by his 
promise; not by your frames and feelings, but by his 
love and grace in Christ Jesus. Believe firmly ; hope 
confidently ; love fervently ; walk humbly ; pray 
earnestly; work diligently; and wait quietly, and 
you may at all times have joy in God. — J. Mason. 



Arrayed in mortal flesh, 

He like an angel stands, 
And holds the promises, 

And pardons in his hands : 
Commissioned from his Father's throne, 
To make his grace to mortals known. 



A UG UST 27. 



247 



Redeeming the time. — Eph. v. 16. 

DO I realize, as I ought, the immense value of 
time? Do I feel, as I should, the importance 
of redeeming or improving it ? Do I fill up my time 
with proper enployments, which are often the surest 
safeguards against temptation and evil thoughts ? Do 
I seek out and improve opportunities of doing good, 
and so redeem time ? And do I look on time as one 
of the sacred talents committed by God to my care to 
be improved for him, and for which I am soon to give 
account ? 



No man is a better merchant than he that lays out 
his time upon God, and his money upon the poor. — 
Bishop Taylor. 

Time well employed is Satan's deadliest foe ; it 
leaves no opening for the lurking fiend. — -C. Wilcox. 

The great rule of moral conduct, is, next to God, to 
respect time. — Lavater. 

We always have time enough, if we will but im- 
prove it well. — Goethe. 

As if you could kill time, without injuring eternity ! 
— Thoreatj. 



Let no present moment pass, 
Without blessings on its head ; 

And as Time metes out his glass, 
While our sands are numbered, 

Faithfully improve to-day — 
Soon ''twill sleep with ages fled ! 



248 



A UG UST 28. 



He which hath begun a good woi^Tc in you, will per- 
form it until the day of Jesus Christ. — Phil. i. 6. 

IN every hour of weakness or despondency, or when 
the conflict with sin is severe, is it not a blessed 
comfort, that Christ has promised to cany on his good 
work to the end ? Do I rest, at all times, on his help, 
making it my chief concern to fulfill my duty toward 
him, and to find my happiness in him? Do I thank- 
fully acknowledge that whatever of good there may be 
in me, is of him, and that he alone can sustain it ? Do 
I trust myself entirely to him, for time and eternity ? 



Faith in Jesus is the trust and reliance of the heart 
on him for help and deliverance ; and such trust on our 
part, shall never be disappointed. — Venn. 

Our faith would often fail through temptation and 
trials, through troubles without, and weakness and sin 
within, but for Jesus and his promises. He begins in 
us the work of grace, and he sustains it to the end. 
He first planted the seed of faith in us; and as it 
sprang up, he has kept it ever since, and will keep it 
to the end. _____ 

Heaven and earth may pass away ; 
God's free grace shall not decay ; 
He hath said, and will fulfill, 
All the pleasure of his will. 
By his loving, powerful hand, 
He will aid thee firm to stand ; 
Those whom Jesus once hath loved, 
From his grace are never moved. — Hill. 



A UG UST 29. 



249 



The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we 
know not what we should pray for as we ought — 
Eom. viii. 26. 

"TT^vO I always seek the help of the Spirit in prayer, 



J^J that I may pray aright, and for that which is 
really best for myself, as well as most for God's glory ? 
Do I realize that, of myself, I know not what to ask, 
being so prone to separate the end from the means ? 
Do I feel that in manner, I often do not pray as I 
ought; and that my affections will be cold, and my 
thoughts wander, and my petitions will be too much 
occupied with self, and with present comforts, unless 
the Holy Spirit aid me? 



" I could write down twenty cases," said a good man, 
" where I wished and prayed that God would do other- 
wise than he did ; but where now I see that if my prayer 
had been literally answered, and I had had my desire, 
it would have led to evil and not to good. And now I 
have learned to add to all my prayers, ' Nevertheless, 
not as I will, but as thou wilt/ ;; 



Since oft, by passion's force inclined, 

And oft by stubborn will, 
We blindly shun the latent good, 

And grasp the specious ill, 
Not what we wish, but what we want, 

Oh, let thy grace supply : 
The good unasked, in mercy grant ; 

The ill, though asked, deny. — Mekkick. 




250 



AUGUST 30. 



If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is 
none of Ms. — Rom. viii. 9. 

HAVE I the Spirit of Christ ? Am I meek, lowly, 
humble, patient, self- denying, benevolent, as he 
was ? Every day do I endeavor to live as he lived ? 
Does his Spirit so dwell in me, as to bring forth, con- 
tinually, the peaceable fruits of righteousness ? Does 
my faith fix only on him ; my love go forth supremely 
to him ; in my life do I seek to honor him ? Do I take 
him for my Teacher, my Example, my Guide, my Mas- 
ter, my Friend, my Hope, my endless portion ? 



To be a Christian is not a mere play on a word, but 
expresses the fact, that as love, purity, goodness, truth, 
mercy, and the like are the same in all beings, so must 
the believer who possesses them in kind, be one with 
Christ who possesses them in perfection. He must see 
his ideal, and all he most loves, realized in Christ, and 
the deepest desires of his soul met in being made like 
him : and he must recognize it as heaven itself to be 
with him, and to be as he is for ever. — McLeod. 

Jesus ! I live to thee, 

Thou loveliest and best ; 
My life in thee, thy life in me, 

In thy blest love I rest. 
Living or dying, Lord, 

I ask but to be thine ; 
My life in thee, thy life in me, 

Makes heaven for ever mine ! 

— Habbaugh. 



AUGUST 31. 



251 



There is but a step between me and death. — 1 Sam. 
xx. 3. 

AM I Dot prone to think of death as a precipice 
at a distance, toward which I am gradually ap- 
proaching, and over which I must by and by plnnge? 
But is it not rather a precipice on the very verge of 
which I am every day walking, and over which a 
single step may at any moment, take me to eternity ? 
Am I living in constant readiness to go, whenever 
God shall call me away ? Am I prepared to depart, 
and be with Christ, whenever I may be summoned 
from this world ? 

The sublimity of wisdom, is, to do those things 
living, which are to be desired when dying. — Jeeemy 
Taylor. 

At death we but leave one place to go to another. 
If godly, we go from earth to heaven ; from our friends 
on earth, to our friends in heaven : from the valley of 
tears, to the mount of joy ; from a howling wilderness, 
to a heavenly paradise. Who would be unwilling to 
exchange a Sodom for a Zion, an Egypt for a Canaan, 
sin for holiness, misery for glory ? — Keach. 



All souls are thine. We may not say, 

The dead in Christ have passed away, 

When from the world and flesh set free, 

We know them living still to thee. 

Eeleased from sin, and toil, and strife, 

With thee they live the heavenly life ; 

Their thoughts, their works, their powers are thine, 

For ever blest with joys divine ! — Elleeton. 



252 



SEPTEMBER 1. 



We would see Jesus. — John xii. 21. 

IS this the sincere and earnest desire of my heart, 
to have clear views of the character of Christ, and 
constant communion of soul with him? Do I look for 
him in his word, in his ordinances, in his providence, 
and in the influences of his Holy Spirit? Do I long 
for a closer union of heart and life with him ? Is he 
the chief among ten thousand, and the one altogether 
lovely to me ? Do I long and pray for entire conform- 
ity to him ? 



Christ Jesus is all that we need; and he has all that 
we want. We should look to him ; long for him ; live 
upon him ; walk with him ; work for him ; aim in 
everything to glorify him. Have what we may, with- 
out him we are poor ; but with him we are rich, 
though all else be taken away. * 

We have a race to run, a prize to win, and a mark 
to reach ; and to be successful, we must look away 
from everything else, and fix our eyes on Jesus. 
Looking to him we cannot fail ; for in him we have 
courage, and strength, and sympathy, and an example, 
and all the help that we need. He is not only the 
Author, but the Finisher of the faith. — J. Smith. 



Only Jesus would I see ; 
Only like him would I be ; 
Only for him would I live ; 
Only to him would I give 
All I am, and all I have ; 
All to him who died to save ! 



SEPTEMBER 2. 



253 



They that he whole need not a physician, but they 
that are sick. — Matt. ix. 12. 

T\0 I feel and acknowledge myself to be one of 



I J the sick ones who need the care of the Great 
Physician ? Am I willing to be healed by him, in his 
w T ay, and by such treatment as he thinks best ? Have 
I long since despaired of any remedy from myself or 
from my fellow-men ? Do I look away from all other 
sources of help to Jesus, the Great Physician? Do all 
my hopes for time and eternity rest on him? 



The greatest sinner, who trusts only in Christ's 
blood, will assuredly be saved. The best man in the 
world w r ho trusts in his own goodness, will be lost. 
— Hewitson. 

Let this thought, that God cannot lie, keep, in con- 
scious safety, the heart of every one who looketh to 
Jesus. They who look shall be saved. It is not to 
him who sees Christ brightly that the promises are 
made, but to him who looks. A bright view may 
minister to comfort, but it is looking to Christ that 
ministers to safety. — Chalmees. 



I need thee, precious Saviour, for I am full of sin ; 
My soul is dark and guilty ; my heart is dead within ; 
I need the cleansing fountain where I can always flee ; 
The blood of Christ most precious, my only, perfect 



In life, in death, in heaven, my highest joy shall be, 
To sing thy praises ever ; to look, my Lord, to thee ! 




plea. 



— F. Whitfield. 



254 



SEPTEMBER 8. 



With thee is the fountain of life. — Ps. xxxvi. 9. 
\ 0 I feel that to me God is the fountain of spirit- 



I J ual life, and that from him come all the strength 
and comfort of my sonl ? Do I find in him light, per- 
fection, wisdom, guidance, joy ? In him are the crav- 
ings of my soul satisfied ? And the more I am filled, 
do I the more desire to be filled with all the fullness 
of God ? Can I say, with the Psalmist, that my soul 
thirsts for God ; for clearer views of his character — 
for greater conformity to his will? 



In all the changes of life what a joy to look to Christ, 
and find our joy in him. 

The soul that thirsts for God is alive to him, and 
experimentally acquainted with him, and will never 
be satisfied with anything but him. It will long 
for a sense of his love, for the presence of his Spirit, 
for the enjoyment of his favor, for constant com- 
munion and fellowship with him. It will never 
cease thirsting till it is filled with all his fullness in 
heaven. * 



Blest in thee, our praises flow 
Even in this vale of woe ; 
"Waters in the desert rise ; 
Manna feeds us from the shies ; 
On we go, from strength to strength, 
Till we reach thy throne at length ; 
At thy feet adoring fall, 
Who hast led us safe through all. 




— H. R Lyte. 



SEPTEMBER 4. 



255 



According to your faith, be it unto you. — Matt. 
ix, 29. 

DO I realize that a living faith not only unites 
to Christ, but disperses doubts, gives power in 
prayer, imparts strength for duty, and brings peace 
and comfort and joy to the soul? Do I seek to 
strengthen my faith by the prayerful study of God's 
word, and by dwelling on the rich promises of the 
Saviour? Do I endeavor by works of obedience to 
find evidence of the reality of my faith, and to see 
that faith is the mainspring of my works of obedi- 
ence? Can I sincerely say and pray, "Lord, I be- 
lieve; help thou mine unbelief "? 



The sin of unbelief is that which besets the sinner 
more than his evil ways. But if thou entertain these 
unbelieving thoughts, thou transgressest' Christ's com- 
mand ; abidest thine own tormentor ; and keepest thy- 
self from establishment in grace. — Btjnyan. 

Though faith does nothing of itself, nothing alone, 
it does everything under God, and by God, and through 
God. Its humble dependence, and its meek, childlike 
spirit, after all constitute its proper sell These are the 
essence and life of faith. — -Stoughton. 



Faith is the last, strong link 'twixt God and man. 
There is more wisdom in its whispered prayer, 
Than in the wisest lore of all the schools. 
The soul upon its knees lays hold on God ; 
Worship believing, is the key of heaven. 
" I do believe; help thou mine unbelief!" 
Is the last, greatest utterance of the soul ! — Bigg. 



256 



SEPTEMBER 5. 



I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and thou for- 
gavest the iniquity of my sin. — Ps. xxxii. 5. 
~T"\0 I rejoice in the blessed thought that there is 



1 J forgiveness with God, through Christ, for every 
one who is penitent ? Have I confessed my sins to him, 
asking for pardon and grace to forsake them ? Do I 
mourn my sins of omission, as well as of commission ? 
Do I take the blame of all on myself, not endeavoring 
to excuse or extenuate my errors or sins, by throwing 
the blame on others, on circumstances, or on the force 
of temptation ? Does pardoning grace make me hum- 
ble, as well as thankful ? 



He who thinks he has no need of Christ, has too 
high thoughts of himself. He who thinks Christ 
cannot help him, has too low thoughts of Christ. — J. 
Mason. 

We often tell God that we are sinners, miserable and 
helpless ; but can we bear to be told so by others ? 
Are we willing, from any source, to know our sins that 
we may forsake them ? — T. Adams. 



Eeturn, 0 holy Dove, return, 

Sweet messenger of rest ; 
I hate the sins that made thee mourn, 

And drove thee from my breast. 
The dearest idol I have known, 

Whate'er that idol be, 
Help me to tear it from thy throne, 

And worship only thee. — Cowpek. 




SEPTEMBER 6\ 



257 



Let no man deceive himself. — 1 Cor. iii. 18. 

0 I realize how difficult it is, truly to know one's 



I J own heart ? Am I sensible of my ignorance in 
this respect; and do I earnestly ask God to enable me 
to know myself, and to make me wise unto salvation ? 
Do I distrust my own understanding ; and realize that 
self-flattery is next step to self-deceit; and that the 
way of true wisdom, is, to be willing to be enlightened 
and taught of God ? Do I watch and pray against self- 
deception, as one of the most fearful sources of danger 
to the soul ? ____ 

Eemember that the time for self-examination and 
self-knowledge, is, after all, very short. Soon you will 
know the great secret. You may masquerade it for a 
while in the dress of a saint, but death will soon strip 
off the covering, and at the judgment you will stand 
revealed just as you are. — Spurg-eon. 

Oh, what a change it would make in the world, if 
men were brought to a knowledge of themselves ! 
How many would seek to faithful ministers for ad- 
vice, who now deride them ! How many would cry 
day and night for mercy, and beg for the life of their 
immortal souls, who now content themselves with 
formal prayer, or perhaps never pray at all. — Baxter. 



Search me, 0 God ! and know my heart ; 

Try me, my secret soul survey ; 
And warn thy servant to depart, 

From every false and evil way. 
So shall thy truth my guidance be, 
Through life to immortality ! — Montgomery. 
17 




258 



SEPTEMBER 7. 



We must all appear before the judgment seat of 
Christ— 2 Coe. v. 10. 

I \0 I bear in mind continually that this world is 



I J but a state of probation, and the future world 
one of retribution ? Do I realize the certainty of the 
final judgment, that we must be judged ; its universal- 
ity, that all must appear ; its nearness, that at any hour 
we may be called to it, and at farthest, very soon ? Do 
I rest my hopes of acceptance there on any merit or 
works of my own, or only on Christ ? If I love and 
trust him, need I have any fears as to the great and 
final day ? 



Here on earth we are placed as stewards : soon we 
must give an account of our stewardship. Here we 
are gradually forming characters and fixing habits : 
soon we shall pass the point beyond which neither 
can be changed except in degree. Here we . are on 
probation : there an endless retribution awaits us. 
And how soon we may go to it, no one of us knows. 
We only know it will be soon * 



May we all walk in humble faith, and holy chastening 
fear, 

And see with calm and steadfast eye, the Judge of all 
appear ; 

Prepared to join the adoring throng before the throne 
of God, 

Redeemed and freed from sin and death by Christ's 
atoning blood. 




SEPTEMBER 8. 



259 



Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. 
—Rom. v. 20. 

HTAOES this view of the boundless grace of God 



I J give me comfort, assuring me as it does, that 
the enormity of sin can never prevent my acceptance 
and salvation, if I do but repent and believe on 
Christ? Do I watch over myself, lest through the 
very abundance of divine mercy, there should creep 
in, unawares, a laxity of feeling, or a less earnest and 
persevering warfare against sin ? Does the very rich- 
ness of grace but make me more faithful in duty ? 



I must never think my sins too great, too aggravated, 
too presumptuous, to hinder me from fleeing to Christ. 
The weight of my sins should act like the weight of 
a clock, which makes it go faster in proportion as it 
is heavier. — McCheyne. 

When Satan charges sin upon the conscience, then 
for the soul to charge it upon Christ, this is gospel- 
like. Christ serves for this very end. — C. Wilcox. 

He that hath light thoughts of sin, never had great 
thoughts of God. — Owen. 



It is not that I feel less weak ; but thou 

Wilt be my strength. It is not that I see 

Less sin ; but more of pardoning love in thee, 

And all -sufficient grace. Enough ! And now 

All fluttering thought is stilled ; I only rest, 

And feel that thou art near, and know that I am 




blest ! 



260 



SEPTEMBER 9. 



Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out 
— John vi. 37. 

DO I realize the fullness, and believe in the 
sincerity of this gracious declaration of the 
Saviour? Do I feel that his invitation is not only 
general, to all, but that it is individual and personal, 
addressed to myself, and that its comfort and en- 
couragement are meant for me? Have I come to 
him, and to God by him ? Does his love draw me ; 
and does my sense of need and danger drive me to 
him? Do I endeavor, at all times, to live near to 
him? 

A man may go to heaven without health, without 
riches, without honors, without pleasures, without 
learning, without friends, but he can never get there 
without Christ. — Dyer. 

If in all my life Satan and I did ever strive for any 
one word of God, it was for this good word of God in 
Christ, " Him that cometh to me I will in no wise 
cast out — he at one end, and I at the other. Oh, 
what work we made ! It was for this that we did so 
tug and strive. He pulled, and I pulled ; but God be 
praised, I overcame him. — Rutherford. 

Come, says Jesus' sacred voice, 

Come, and make my paths your choice ; 

I will guide you safely home ; 

Weary pilgrim, hither come. 

Hither come, for here is found, 

Balm that flows for every wound ; 

Peace that ever shall endure ; 

Rest eternal, sacred, sure ! — Barbauld. 



SEPTEMBER 10. 



261 



We know that when he shall appear, we shall be 
like him, for we shall see him as he is. — 1 John iii. 2. 
"T~\ 0 I look forward with hope to the meeting with 



1 J Christ in heaven? Is it a joy to think that 
then I shall for ever be free from sin, as well as from 
suffering ; that I shall be like the Saviour, because I 
shall see him as he is ? Do I seek, here on earth, for 
clearer views of his character, and for closer and still 
closer communion with him, that I may become more 
and more like him? Do I daily grow in his likeness 
here, and so have evidence that I shall dwell with him 
for ever hereafter ? 



If we expect to live with Christ in heaven, we must 
live with him on earth. — J. Mason. 

Inward conformity to the grace and holiness of 
Christ, is the fundamental design of the Christian 
life ; the only satisfying evidence of an interest in 
his love, and the only preparation for seeing and en- 
joying him for ever in heaven. If we have not his 
Spirit here, we shall not have his presence hereafter. 



Jesus, draw this heart of mine, 
Daily, hourly, nearer thine ; 
Looking, longing, thus I'll seek thee ; 
And in seeking, hope to meet thee ; 
Meeting thee, rejoice at last ; 
And rejoicing hold thee fast, 
Till, beyond the grave, I see 
Thee in heaven, and heaven in thee ! 




262 



SEPTEMBER 11. 



Rooted and built up in him, and established in the 
faith. — Col. ii. 7. 

T\0 I realize that the more closely I walk with 



I J Christ, the more firmly I shall be established in 
the faith ; and that the more intelligent and vigorous 
my faith, the closer will be my walk with him ? Do 
I remember that a holy life and a living faith always 
go together ; and that we cannot be built up in Christ 
unless we are first rooted in him ? Am I united to 
him by a true and active faith, loving his truth, doing 
his will, growing up in all things into him ? 



There are two different kinds of grow T th into Christ ; 
a growth downward, when the believer becomes more 
rooted in his principles and established in his hold on 
the covenant ; and a growth upward, like the palm 
and the cedar in the Lord's enclosed garden. But all 
growth comes from union with Christ. 

While you live right, nothing goes wrong. A soul 
at peace with God cannot be greatly disturbed by the 
world, for being united to Christ, it has its life and 
joys in him, and its blessings from him. — Jackson. 



Thee I love, 0 Christ, alone, 
For thy wondrous mercy shown 
'Tis thy wounds my healing give ; 
To thy cross I look and live : 
Thou my life — oh let me be, 
Rooted, grafted, built on thee ! 




SEPTEMBER 12. 



263 



I said I will lake heed to my ways, thai I sin not 
with my tongue. — Ps. xxxix. 1. 

DO I bear in mind continually, how often and how 
solemnly the Bible speaks of the tongue ; and 
that our Saviour himself tells us ; that by our words 
we shall be justified, or by our words be condemned, 
in the day of final judgment? Do I seek for divine 
help, that I may ever speak wisely, kindly, charitably, 
and for the happiness and good of others; and not idly, 
foolishly, disparagingly, falsely, or so as justly to offend 
either God or man ? May I always speak in the spirit 
of Christ, and so as to honor him ! 



Weighed in the balance of Scripture, our words are 
of the most solemn importance. They reveal our true 
character ; they exercise a powerful influence for evil, 
or for good ; they will form an important item of the 
account each one of us is to render at the last great 
day. Let us, then, take heed to our words, and see 
that our speech is always with grace, so as to be ac- 
ceptable to God. — Everaed. 



Guard well thy lips ; for none can ever know 
What evils from the thoughtless tongue may flow ; 
What grief be caused, what guilt may be incurred, 
By one incautious, heedless, hasty word. 
Set God before thee ; think that every word 
Thy lips pronounce, by him, on high, is heard ; 
Oh, couldst thou realize this solemn thought, 
What care, what caution would thy lips be taught ! 



264 



SEPTEMBER IS. 



It is good to be zealously affected always in a good 
thing. — Gal. iv. 18. 

~T~F earnestness of feeling and action should corre- 



JL spond to the importance of the cause in which 
one is engaged, then can I have too much zeal in the 
service of Christ, and for the spread of his kingdom 
in the world? Am I indeed zealous so to live and 
act, as to honor God and do good to men? Am I dili- 
gent and unwearied as a laborer in God's vineyard, 
working in season and out of season? Am I at all 
times decided and earnest as a faithful follower of 
Christ? 



Zeal without knowledge, is like haste to a man who 
is walking in the dark. — John Newton. 

Let us not call that zeal for God, which is only our 
own tempestuous and stormy passion. True zeal is a 
sweet, heavenly, and gentle flame, which maketh us 
active for God, but always within the sphere of love. 
It never calls for fire from heaven to consume those 
who differ from us. It strives to save the soul, but 
hurteth not the body. — Cud worth. 



Go, labor on ; spend and be spent ; 

Thy joy to do the Father's will ; 
It is the way the Saviour went ; 

Should not his followers tread it still ? 
Go, labor on ; 'tis not for naught ; 

Thine earthly loss is heavenly gain ; 
Men heed thee, love thee, praise thee not ; 

The Master praises : — what are men ? 




— H. Bonae. 



SEPTEMBER 14. 



265 



Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much 
be required. — Luke xii. 48. 

T\0 I feel that I am but the steward of the mani- 



1 J fold gifts of God, and that I am sacredly bound 
to use them all for him, and as he directs? On my 
time, talents, influence, property — on all that I have 
and am, do I remember that he has written, " Occupy 
till I shall come ?" Do I ask, in everything, how I 
may best honor God and do good to men ? Do I keep 
the great and final account habitually in view, and 
seek so to live as to be accepted, at last, as good and 

faithful? 

Nothing that I have is my own. It is only lent me, 
for a little season, by God. To him I must soon render 
an account for the use I have made of it. Kightly 
used, all will be as a means of grace to me, to perfect 
my character and fit me for heaven. Used only for 
self and selfish ends, all will be at last but my con- 
demnation. — I. S. Spencer. 

Christ has left us on earth for a while, to represent 
him, to witness for him, to work for him. He will 
come again soon, to call us to account. We are but 
his stewards. Let us so be faithful in all that is en- 
trusted to us, that when the call is heard, " Give an 
account of thy stewardship/' we may not hear that 
fearful addition, "Thou mayest no longer be steward !" 



To-day be faithful in living, 
For God and your fellow-man ; 

Let loving, and doing, and giving, 
Be close to your heart and hand. 

For to-day, so far as you certainly know, 

May be the last you will have below. 




266 



SEPTEMBER 15. 



Oh the depth of the riches, both of the vrisdom and 
knowledge of God. — Eom. xi. 33. 

HEN I think of the infinite mercy of God in 
Christ Jesus, like Paul, do I stand in amaze- 
ment at its wondrous depths, and in thankfulness wor- 
ship and adore at the feet of its Author ? Do I feel 
my weakness and nothingness ; and that after all my 
searching, I know but nothing in comparison with the 
infinite knowledge of God ? Do I feel, too, that his 
love is as boundless as his wisdom? And does my 
whole heart go forth in love to him ? 

The riches of divine grace may be compared to a 
richly-furnished cabinet, to which Christ is the only 
door. His love is the only key to its wondrous trea- 
sures ; and experience is the only key to the fullness of 
their meaning and value to ourselves. 

If all our love were extinguished, at the love of 
Christ we might easily rekindle it. Not a word that 
he spoke, not a work that he did, not a suffering that 
he endured, but was a proof and a result of his love. 
He purchased love, he brought love, he exercised love, 
he bequeathed love, he lived in love, and he died in 
love. He is all love. — I. S. Spencer. 

Oh for this love let rocks and hills, 

Their lasting silence break ; 
And all harmonious human tongues, 

The Saviour's praises speak. 
Angels, assist our mighty joys ; 

Strike all your harps of gold ; 
But when you raise your highest notes, 

His love can ne'er be told. — Watts. 




SEPTEMBER 16. 



267 



For I say, through the grace given unto vie, to 
every man that is among you, not to think of himself 
more highly than he ought to think. — Kom. xii. 3. 



0 I endeavor to know myself ; to see myself as 



1 * God sees me? And does this self-knowledge 
lead me to think humbly of myself, and not to have 
too high an opinion of my own judgment, or ability, 
or performances ? Does self-knowledge check every- 
thing like self-conceit, and keep me from too high an 
estimate of my own wisdom or attainments ? Do I 
look constantly to the standard of God's law, and seek 
for grace to be more fully conformed to it ? 



It is the peculiarity of the Christian religion, and 
of the Christian character, that humility and holiness 
increase in equal proportions. The Pharisee could 
thank God that he was not as other men ; it was the 
apostle Paul who felt that he was the chief of sinners. 

Avoid the habit of speaking humbly of yourself, 
as the snare of the adversary. Can you bear not to 
speak of yourself at all? That is the question. — 
Howels. 

Lowliness of heart is real dignity ; and humility is 
the brightest jewel in the Christian's crown. — Bond. 



When Mary chose the better part, 

She meekly sat at Jesus' feet ; 
And Lydia's humble, trusting heart, 

Was made for. God's own dwelling meet ; 
And most beloved of heaven is he 
Whose soul is all humility. — J. Montgomery 




268 



SEPTEMBER 17. 



Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and forget not all his 
benefits. — Ps. ciii. 2. 

FOE all God's mercies to me, both negative and 
positive, am I habitually and truly thankful ? 
Do I count as mercies the evils from which he has 
saved me ? And for all his positive blessings, am I 
sincerely grateful to him? Does my gratitude go 
deeper than the lips, even to my inmost heart ? Is 
every blessing received, a fresh bond to bind my soul 
to the infinite Giver in devout thankfulness and love ? 



If we turn God's benefits into occasions of sin, we 
unthankfully imitate the earth from which we were 
taken ; for that makes use of the heat of the sun to 
send up vapors that obscure the light, and chill the 
warmth communicated to it. — Bishop Hopkixs. 

A thankful spirit, is a joyous and cheerful spirit. 
If we would go hopefully and happily through life, 
we should take God's blessings as he sends them, 
being grateful for them, and think more of what we 
have, than of what we have not. 



When thou hast truly thanked thy God 

For every blessing sent, 
But little time will then remain 

For murmur or lament. 
The mercies which thy thoughts employ, 
Will fill thy life with cheerful joy. 



SEPTEMBER 18. 



269 



Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all 
thy diseases. — Ps. ciii. 3. 

TP\0 I estimate as I ought the boundless privileges 



I J which Christ confers on all who come to him in 
penitence and faith ? Do I realize the greatness of 
the sins he forgives ; the extent of the impurity he 
cleanses ; the infinite glory and blessedness to which 
he entitles, and for which by his grace he prepares us ? 
Do I endeavor prayerfully and earnestly to fall in with 
his designs of mercy, and to live for the great ends 
which he sought by his own death to accomplish in 
and for me ? 



How little of the sea can a child carry in his hand ! 
As little do I take away of the great sea of the bound- 
less love of Christ. — Ktjtherford. 

Paul, says Luther, had three wishes : that he might 
be found in Christ; that he might magnify Christ; 
that he might be with Christ. If we come to him for 
pardon and cleansing, all these ends are ours. We are 
accepted in him by faith ; we shall magnify him by 
holy living ; we shall be with him for ever in glory. 



Every virtue I possess, 

Every conquest I have Avon, 
Every thought of holiness, 

Is from thee, 0 Christ, alone ! 
May thy grace, with loving power, 

Freely pardon all my sin ; 
May thy Spirit, every hour, 

Make and keep me pure within ! 




270 



SEPTEMBER 19. 



Ye are the salt of the earth. — Matt. v. 13. 

BELIEVING the gospel myself, do I seek to lead 
others to receive it ? Trusting to Christ as the 
only and all-sufficient Saviour, do I endeavor to win 
others to him ? Remembering that example is more 
powerful than precept, do I seek to be a living ex- 
ample of the blessed effects of the gospel? By a 
consistent, holy, exemplary life, and conversation, do 
I strive to adorn the doctrine of Christ, and so to 
commend his service to others ? 



Christians are the Bible of the world, to which it 
looks to judge of the reality of religion. They should 
so live that all may believe it. 

There is an energy of moral suasion in a good man's 
life, passing the highest efforts of the orator's genius. 
The seen but silent beauty of holiness speaks more 
eloquently of God and duty, than the tongues of men 
or angels. Christianity itself, I believe, owes by far 
the greater part of its moral power, not to the miracles 
or precepts or parables of Christ, but to his own cha- 
racter, and the character it is fitted to form in his dis- 
ciples. — Chalmees. 

Take my soul, and body's powers ; 

Take my memory and my will ; 
All my goods, and all my hours ; 

All I think, or know, or feel; 
All I hope, or wish, or do ; 
All my heart, and make it new. 
Take my life, and let it be, 
Wholly consecrate to thee ! 



SEPTEMBER 20. 



271 



Look not every man on his own things, but every 
man also on the things of others. — Phil. ii. 4. 

IN caring for myself, do I care also for others? Do 
I regard their character, happiness, property and 
reputation, as I would have them regard my own? 
Do I put away the spirit of faultfinding, and cen- 
soriousness, and unjust or hasty judgment, and cher- 
ish toward all, the spirit of Christian sympathy and 
benevolence? Do I seek for opportunities of doing 
a kind act, or speaking a kind word, or giving a kind 
look to those with whom I come in contact ? 



The very heart and root of sin is an independent 
and selfish spirit. We erect the idol self, and not only 
wish others to worship, but worship it ourselves. — 
Cecil. 

If I could but be master of myself, of my own mind, 
my own wit, my own credit and ease, how blessed 
were I ! Alas ! we have more need to be redeemed 
from ourselves, than from the devil and the world. — ■ 

BUTHEEFOEL. 



Father of mercies, send thy grace, 

All-powerful from above, 
To form in our obedient souls, 

The image of thy love. 
Oh may our sympathizing hearts, 

The generous pleasure know, 
Kindly to share in others' joy, 

And weep for others' woe. — Doddeidge. 



272 



SEPTEMBER 21. 



Men see not the bright light which is in the clouds. 
— Job xxxvii. 21. 

"TT"T"HEN clouds of sorrow or suffering are over me 



V V do I look, in faith, for a light beyond them ? 
Do I believe that when God seems to frown, it is but 
the hiding of his mercy, to lead me to look more earn- 
estly, and cling more trustfully to him ? Am I content 
to trust, where I cannot see ? Do I look to the prom- 
ises, when the prospect seems dark ? Do I patiently 
and submissively wait for the revelation which is prom- 
ised when faith is no longer needed ? 



No cloud can overshadow the true Christian but his 
faith will see a rainbow on it. — Bishop Hopkins. 

Our little inch of time-suffering, is not worthy of 
our first night's welcome home to heaven. — Ruth- 
eefoed. 

Faith can support when nature shrinks. It can call 
God Father, even when he frowns; and make some 
discovery of a sun, even through the darkest cloud. — 
Aeeowsmith. 



In life I often have discovered, 

With gratitude and glad surprise, 
When clouds of sorrow o'er me hovered, 
God sent from them my best supplies. 
In troubles he is ever near, 
And shows me all a Father's care. 
Then let me in his love confide, 
And trustful still in hope abide. 




SEPTEMBER 22. 



273 



The Lord God is a sun and shield. — Ps. lxxxiv. 11. 
T^AOES darkness ever reign without, or seem to 



1 s prevail within ? If so, then do I remember that 
God is a sun to enlighten ; to turn the darkness into 
day, and safely to guide and direct me ? Or if I fear 
danger, then do I look to him who is the shield of his 
people, to guard them from the fiery darts of the wicked? 
Do I ever seek to walk in the light of the Lord, that 
he may be my Guide and my Protector ? 



God may sometimes delay his promise, but he will 
not deny it. He may sometimes change it, but he will 
not break it. Though sometimes strokes or frowns 
may come, yet believe his love more than your own 
fears or feelings. — T. Watson. 

Heaven is a place of complete victory and glorious 
triumph. This is the battle-field ; there is the tri- 
umphal procession. This is the land of the sword 
and spear; that of the wreath and the crown; this 
of the garment rolled in blood, and of the dust of the 
fight; that of the trumpet's joyous sound, and of the 
white robe, and the shout of everlasting conquest. — ■ 
Spueg-eon. 



Feeble we are ; we cannot war with sin ; 

Anoint Thou us, and we will march victorious. 
Not till by grace we are renewed within, 

Can we be soldiers, valiant, true and glorious. 
Spirit divine, be thou my spirit's shield, 
Then in the conflict never will I yield, 
But the good fight will manfully maintain, 
And so at last with Christ himself shall reign ! 




18 



274 



SEPTEMBER 23. 



The thought of foolishness is sin. — Peov. xxiv. 9. 



0 I realize that God looks not only to the out- 



1 y ward conduct, but to the heart — to the motives, 
the feelings, the affections ; and that in his sight the 
thought, or intent of sin, is as truly chargeable with 
guilt as the actual perpetration itself? Do I, then, 
watch against the first risings of sinful thought in my 
heart, and strive to keep it from gaining ground and 
so leading on to outward transgression, knowing that 
it is offensive to God, and is to be repented of as truly 
as visible sinfulness ? 



As the heart is, so will the life be in the sight of 
God, for to him our thoughts, desires and dispositions 
are the clear evidence of character. — T. Scott. 

The guilty deed is often but the dark shadow of 
the guilty thought ; and this it is on which God frowns. 
It is this which in the silence of midnight, or in the 
solitude of the desert, or even amid the outward de- 
votions of the sanctuary, may pollute the soul with 
stains and guilt which we are prone to think are only 
chargeable to the outward act. But God judges by 
what the heart is. * 



With self-accusing voice within, 
The conscience tells of many a sin, 

In thought, and word, and deed ; 
Cleanse thou that conscience from each stain, 
The penitent restore again, 

From every burden freed ! 




SEPTEMBER 2J h 



275 



Woe to them that are at ease in Zioii. — Amos vi. 1. 
FA 0 I practically undervalue the means of grace, 



A-J and so fail to live up to my privileges and ob- 
ligations ? Do I allow the things of time to outweigh 
the things of eternity ? Do the pleasures of the 
world so allure, or the business of the world so en- 
gross, that I am neglecting the great duties of re- 
ligion? Do I delude myself with the idea that the 
future will bring all needed opportunities for renewed 
fidelity or for repentance, and so rest satisfied in pres- 
ent shortcoming or unfaithfulness? 



Beware of little concessions, little acquiescences, little 
indulgences, little conformities to the world. If vital 
religion is ever driven out of the soul, it will be as 
the Canaanites were driven out before the Israelites — 
by little and little. — H. Melvill. 

With loss of zeal and earnestness in religion, there 
is loss of character, loss of influence, loss of comfort, 
loss of usefulness, and so long as any remain in this 
state, loss of a well-grounded hope of heaven. — Buck. 



God is earnest ; kneel and pray, 
Ere thy season pass away ; 
Ere he sets the judgment throne ; 
Ere the clay of grace be done. 
Back from every wandering come, 
To thy Father's heart and home ; 
Now he waits to hear thy cry ; 
Turn, and to his bosom fly ! 




276 



SEPTEMBER 25. 



Ye shall be a blessing. — Zech. viii. 13. 

DO I remember continually the example of Christ 
who went about doing good, and endeavor to 
cherish his spirit, and so to imitate him ? Do I long 
to have others partake of the same blessings which 
God has so richly bestowed on me ? If spiritual, do 
I labor to lead others to the Saviour that they may 
find them in him ? If temporal, do I, as far as lies in 
my power, endeavor to minister to their wants, and 
add to their comfort and happiness ? 



Scarcely an hour passes in which we may not per- 
form some little act of kindness that may add to the 
happiness of others. — Bowes. 

There are joys that long to be ours, which come 
about us like birds seeking inlet ; but we are shut up 
to them, and so they bring us nothing, but sit a while 
upon the roof, and then fly away. Religion does not 
consist so much in joyful feelings, as in a constant 
exercise of devotedness to God, and in laying our- 
selves out for the good of others. — Jeeemy Tayloe. 



Not by the years of life, is told 

The length of life ; but by the zeal 
And kindly works, as growing old, 

Men for each other do and feel. 
His life is long whose work is well ; 

And be his station low or high, 
He who the most good works can tell 

Lives longest, though he soonest die ! 

— Beowne. 



SEPTEMBER 26. 



277 



Peace I 'leave with you ; my peace P give unto you. 
— John xiv. 27. 

HAVE I found peace in believing in Christ as 
the only and all-sufficient Saviour ? Has this 
peace its foundation in the knowledge and love of the 
truth ? Does it keep both my mind and heart through 
Christ Jesus ? In the sorrows and trials of life, does 
it support ; for the duties of life, does it strengthen ; 
amid the temptations of life, does it keep me calm 
and trustful in the Redeemer? Is it an intelligent, 
well-founded, settled, growing peace ? 



"When Christ was about to leave the world, he made 
his will. His soul he committed to his Father ; his 
body he bequeathed to Joseph ; his clothes fell to the 
soldiers ; his mother he left to the care of John ; but 
what should he leave to his poor disciples who had 
left all for him ? Silver and gold, he had none ; but 
he left them that which was infinitely better, his 
peace. " Peace I leave with you. My peace I give 
unto you/' — Matthew Henry. 



Peace was the word our Saviour breathed, 

When from our world his steps withdrew, 
The gift he to his friends bequeathed, 

With Calvary and the cross in view. 
Redeemer ! With adoring love, 

Our spirits take thy rich bequest, 
The watchword of the hosts above, 

The passport to their realm of rest. 



278 



SEPTEMBER 27. 



Blessed are the peacemakers ; for they shall be 
called the children of God. — Matt. v. 9. 
r\0 I remember that God is the God and Author 



1 J of peace, and that he commands ns to live in 
peace, and to promote it among others ? Do I desire 
and seek and delight in peace ? Do I endeavor to 
smooth away rough and jarring points, to make the 
best of annoying occurrences, to do what I can to 
soften prejudices, and reconcile differences, and turn 
enemies into friends ? Does the peace of God rule in 
my heart, and is it evident in my life ? Do I hope 
and expect to inherit the blessing of the peace- 
makers ? 



If religion has done nothing for your temper, it has 
done nothing for your soul. — Clayton. 

Too many have no idea of the subjection of their 
temper to the influence of religion. And yet what is 
changed, if the temper is not ? If a man is as pas- 
sionate, malicious, resentful, sullen, moody, or morose, 
after his conversion as before it, what is he converted 
from, or to ? — J". A. James. 



Sow love, and taste its fruitage sweet ; 

Sow smiles, and see the desert spring ; 
Sow wisdom for its harvest meet ; 

Sow sunlight for the joy 'twill bring. 
As fast the swift-winged moments speed, 

Freight them with peace, and truth and love, 
With garnered sheaves of thought and seed, 

For the glad harvest-home above. — Bkowne. 




SEPTEMBER 28. 



279 



He cannot deny himself. — 2 Tim. ii. 13. 
TIGHT not this gracious assurance as to the prom- 



ise and faithfulness of God, to set at rest for 
ever all disturbing and doubting thoughts in the mind 
and heart of the believer ? Have I taken him at his 
word, and come to him, in all my sinfulness, knowing 
that since he has said it, he never will turn me away ? 
Does my confidence stand firm and unshaken in all 
circumstances of life ? Do I seek to lead others to the 
same trust ? 



If you come as a ruined and lost sinner to the 
Saviour, renouncing all confidence in yourself, and 
trusting only in the mercy and to the promises of 
God, he will hear your cry, will forgive your sins, 
and will turn your darkness into light. — J. Hawes. 

It was good for me to come hither to learn a new 
mystery of Christ, that Christ's promise is to be be- 
lieved against all appearances. — Rutherford. 

The God of love never leaves his promise unfulfilled, 
or his work unfinished. What he begins in grace, he 
ends in glory. — Gardiner Spring. 



He by himself hath sworn ; 

I on his oath depend ; 
I shall, on eagle's wings upborne, 

To heaven ascend. 
There I shall see his face ; 

There shall his power adore, 
And sing the wonders of his grace, 

For evermore. — T. Oliver. 




280 



SEPTEMBER 29. 



Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law 
of Christ, — Gal. vi. 2. 

TT^vO I endeavor always to cherish the spirit of 



i J sympathy and kindness for all about me? Am 
I forbearing to the weak, compassionate to the erring, 
and charitable to those who may have been overtaken 
in a fault, or who have fallen into evil ? Am I ever 
ready to encourage the depressed, to help the feeble, 
to sympathize with the sorrowing, to relieve the suffer- 
ing and distressed, and to bear with the infirmities of 
all, as Christ has borne, and still bears with me? 



A true friend not only doubles our joys in prosperity, 
but he shares and lightens our sorrows in the hour of 
affliction. 

In the intercourse of life, it is by little acts of watch- 
ful kindness, recurring daily and hourly, by words, by 
tones, by gestures, by looks, that affection is won and 
kept, and happiness conferred. He who neglects these 
trifles, and thinks that when some great sacrifice is 
called for, he will be ready to make it, will rarely do 
it ; and if he does, it will be for his own sake, and not 
for the sake of others. And he will never be loved. — 
Sala. 



Save me from selfish pining ; let my heart, 
Drawn from itself, think not of its own smart. 

Remembering others, let me live alway, 
Not for myself alone, but have a part, 

Such as a frail and erring spirit may, 
In love which is of Thee, and which indeed thou art ! 




— Whittiee. 



SEPTEMBER SO. 



281 



Charity suffer eth long, and is hind. — 1 Cob. xiii. 4. 
PvO I bear in mind that charity is but another 



1 J name for Christian love ; and that if the spirit 
of love reign in the heart ; it will lead us to bear in- 
jury and provocation without giving way to resent- 
ment or to the spirit of revenge ? If we have this 
charity, will it not aid us to control passion, and to be 
patient, and long-suffering, and unselfish, and forgiv- 
ing, and kind, and courteous, and obliging, and benev- 
olent ? Is not the spirit of charity the spirit of kind- 
ness, both in word and deed, and to all ? 



The same Bible that gives us the ten command- 
ments enjoins that charity, which believeth all things, 
hopeth all things, endureth all things. — Guthrie. 

If thou neglectest love to thy neighbor, in vain thou 
professest thy love to God ; for by thy love to God, love 
to thy neighbor is begotten ; and by love to thy neigh- 
bor, thy love to God is cherished. — Quarles. 

Not only kindness, but a special kindness is due to 
every one. Kindness is not kindness unless it be spe- 
cial. It is in its fitness, seasonableness, and individual 
application, that its charm consists. — Faber. 



Meek and lowly, pure and holy, 
Chief among the blessed three ; 

Turning sadness into gladness, 
Blessed art thou, charity. 

Works best pleasing God, most high, 
Serve mankind in charity. 




282 



OCTOBER 1. 



We all do fade as a leaf. — Isa. lxiv. 6. 

LIKE the leaf, do I fulfill, in its season, the work 
God has given me to do? And then do I, in 
faith and patience, wait for the time when, like the 
leaf, I must pass away ? Do I learn from the fading 
and falling leaf, and from the changing seasons, the 
transitory nature of all things here below ? And do 
I set my affection on things above, and lay up my 
treasure there, where Christ sitteth at the right hand 
of God? 



The leaves do not change color from the blighting 
touch of the frost, but from the process of natural 
decay. They fall when the fruit has been ripened 
and their work is done. And their splendid change 
of coloring is but their graceful and beautiful sur- 
render of life, when they have finished their summer 
offering of service to God and man. And one of the 
great lessons the fall of the leaf teaches, is this : Do 
your work well, and then be ready to depart when 
God shall call. * 



Sad autumn time ! sweet symbol of repose, 
Can I behold thy rich, harmonious close, 
All duties done, all promises fulfilled, 
As an all-wise, good Providence has willed, 
Nor feel, by faith, a hopeful, calm desire, 
Like thee, in finished glory, to expire ? 
Though like the leaf, I fade and pass away, 
Thanks to thy grace, it is to endless day. 



OCTOBER 2. 



283 



I know that my Redeemer liveth. — Job xix. 26. 
\0 I continually remember that the same Saviour 



1 J who lived and walked on earth, is now living 
in heaven ? Do I rejoice in the assurance that he is 
with me at every moment; and in trial or sorrow, 
have I the same supporting confidence and trust in 
him that Job had in his afflictions ? Can I say that 
he is my Redeemer, and that all my hopes rest on 
him ? Do I look forward with joy to the time of his 
coming again, to gather his people to himself? 



The resurrection of Christ is the pledge of the resur- 
rection of his people, and his life that they shall live 
with him. 

Yes, Christ lives. He lives to love me, to care for 
me, to watch over me, to supply all my needs, and to 
do me all possible good. And because he lives, I 
shall live also. I shall never be separated from him. 
No fiery trial, no fierce foe, no dark state of mind, no 
adverse temptation, no fall, even, shall • ever separate 
me from the love of Christ. * 



Live now the life of faith, 

The life divine ; 
Live in and on the ever-living One, 
Who bears thee on his heart before the throne ; 

His life is thine ! 
Know that he lives ; thy life to him be given ; 
He'll walk with thee on earth, and bring thee safe to 
heaven. 




284 



OCTOBER 3. 



If God be for us, who can be against us f — Rom. 
viii. 31. 

I \0 I take the full comfort of tins blessed truth, 



1 J that God is on the side of his people, and that 
all evil machinations against them must fail, so that 
they are for ever safe ? If he is for us, and we con- 
tinue in his love, may we not overcome temptation, 
and defy the powers of darkness, and persevere unto 
the end? Let Satan do his worst ; is he not chained? 
Let sin do its worst; is if not crucified through 
Christ? Let the world do its worst; is it not con- 
quered through the cross ? 



What a blessed assurance, "that all things shall 
work together for good to them that are called ac- 
cording to His purpose." .The promise is sure; "we 
know." Its extent is universal; "all things." Its 
agency is efficient ; all things " work." Their working 
is harmonious; they work "together." Its aim is 
benevolent; they work "for good." It embraces all 
God's children ; all that " love God," and are " called " 
of him. So that we need never doubt or fear, if we 
put our trust in him. * 



Fear not, I am with thee, oh be not dismayed ; 
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid ; 
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, 
I will not, I will not desert to his foes ; 
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, 
I'll never, no never, no never, forsake. — G. Keith. 




OCTOBER 4. 



285 



I know whom I have believed. — 2 Tim. i. 12. 

IS Christ to me not only an all-sufficient, but a per- 
sonal Saviour ; and do I trust him as an infinite 
and loving Friend, as well as a Kedeemer ? Am I so 
one with him by faith, that I know because he lives 
I shall live also ? Do I feel that my confidence rests 
on a sure foundation, and that nothing shall separate 
me from his love ? From this assurance do I draw 
comfort in adversity, strength for duty, and the cer- 
tainty of safety both for time and eternity ? 



When Dr. James Alexander was on his dying bed, 
some one said to him, " I hope you are able to say, I 
know in whom I have believed." " You do not quote 
it right," was his reply ; " it is, I know whom I have 
believed. In an hour like this, I would not have even 
a preposition between me and my Saviour." 

If you have not the full faith of assurance, practice 
at least the faith of adherence. Cleave to God exactly 
as if you were certain of being accepted of him at 
last ; and thus fulfilling his own conditions, you will 
be accepted, whether you are assured of it or not. 



Faith, Hope, and Love, were questioned what they 
thought 

Of future glory, which religion taught. 
Now Faith believed it firmly to be true ; 
And Hope expected so to find it too ; 
But Love replied, with smiling, conscious glow, 
Believe ? Expect ? I know it to be so ! 



286 



OCTOBER 5. 



Better is ... he that ruleth his spirit, than he that 
taketh a city. — Pkov. xvi. 32. 



0 I endeavor habitually to rule my spirit, ac- 



I J cording to the teaching of God's word, and so 
as to honor him ? Knowing how difficult it is to do 
this, do I keep the example of the Saviour before me, 
and strive to cherish his meekness, forbearance, pa- 
tience and self-control? Do I pray for grace to aid me 
to a thorough self-knowledge, and in the arduous work 
of self-restraint ? Do I constantly seek the indwelling 
of the Holy Spirit, that every thought and feeling may 
be brought into captivity to the will of God? 



He who reigns within himself, and rules his passions, 
desires and fears, is more than a king. — Milton. 

The best government, says Goethe, is that which 
teaches us to govern ourselves. And, says Pythagoras, 
no man is free who cannot command himself. And 
Seneca declares, that he is of all others the most 
powerful, who has himself in his own power. And 
says another, the worst education w r hich teaches self- 
denial and self-control, is better than the best which 
teaches everything else, and not these. * 



My Saviour lives ! his life is mine 
Then let my life be wholly his. 
Eise up, my soul ! with strength divine, 

Tread down the sin that in thee is. 
Be every passion, feeling, thought, 
To Christ in full subjection brought ; 
Rule thou thyself: let grace divine, 
Rule ever in this heart of thine. 




OCTOBER 6. 



237 



Keep thy heart with all diligence ; for out of it are 
the issues of life. — Peov. iv. 23. 

| \0 I watch, with holy jealousy, over my own 



I J heart, guarding with constant vigilance every 
avenue by which sin might possibly find an entrance ? 
Do I endeavor to keep a conscience void of offence, 
asking divine aid that I may be successful in doing 
it? Do I remember that issues of life or death de- 
pend upon this keeping, or on the neglect of it ? Is 
it my earnest prayer that God, by his Holy Spirit, 
wo aid always keep me near to him? 



As the virtue of the rich perfume evaporates by de- 
grees, if the bottle containing it is not closely stopped, 
so the life and power of religion is in danger of vanish- 
ing insensibly away, if the heart be not kept with dili- 
gence. — Salter. 

Never trust this heart of thine that it will be well 
ordered, and kept in good frame, if thou carry not 
always a strong hand and a narrow eye over it. If 
once thou let go the bridle of watchfulness, it will run 
out so far that it will be hard to bring it back again. 
— J. 0. Dykes. 



Thou art the light ; the sunshine is- from thee ; 

And in thy heart is strength and purity ; 

There lean our weary hearts ; there ends our quest ; 

For there is perfect love and perfect rest. 

Kept by thy power for ever safe are we ; 

Safe in thy safety, only safe in thee. 




288 



OCTOBER 7. 



As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith 
without works is dead also. — James ii. 26. 



J l_ that the faith which I profess is carried out and 

evidenced by a holy life ? Is my faith a living faith, 
the mainspring and source of my works ; and are my 
w r orks the clear evidence of the reality of my faith ? 
Do I believe and trust as though all depended on 
Christ? Do I live as though only a holy life could 
give a title to heaven ? Does my faith lead to holy 
obedience? Is my obedience the fruit of a living 



We are not saved by faith without works, for there 
is no such faith in Christ. Nor are we saved by works 
without faith, for no works but those that flow from 
faith are acceptable to God. — G. W. Bethune. 

It is an unhappy division that has been made be- 
tween faith and works. Though in thought I may 
divide them, just as in the candle I think of both the 
light and the heat, yet as when the candle is put out, 
both the light and heat are gone, and neither remains 
without the other, so it is with faith and works ; in 
the Christian life they are inseparable. — Selden. 



Let my faith go forth in works ; 

Let my works my faith fulfill; 
All my heart thy Spirit breathe ; 

All my life but do thy will. 
Heart and life to thee be given; 
Christ my life ; his life my heaven. 




received Christ Jesus into my heart 



faith? 



OCTOBER 8. 



289 



I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. — Gen". 
xxxii. 26. 

ARE my prayers earnest and importunate, like the 
wrestling of Jacob with God? Is the first and 
chief desire of my heart that I may have the divine 
guidance and blessing ? Do I seek and desire these, 
more than any earthly favor or temporal good? Do I 
still persevere in prayer, even when the answer does 
not at once come, but is delayed ? Can I, and do I 
feel that God knows what is the best answer to give, 
and the best time in which to give it ? 



If thou truly desirest a noble and holy life, and 
unceasingly prayest to God for it, and if thou con- 
tinuest constant in this thy desire, it will be granted 
thee without fail. — St. Beenaed. 

Those who would have the blessing of Christ must 
be in good earnest and importunate for it, as those 
that resolve they will have no denial. It is the fer- 
vent prayer that is the effectual prayer. — Matthew 
Heney. 



Pray, though the gift you ask for 

May never comfort your fears ; 
May never repay your pleading ; 

Yet pray, and with hopeful tears. 
An answer, not that which you long for, 

But diviner, will come some day ; 
Though your eyes are too dim to see it, 

Yet strive, and watch, and pray. — A. Peoctee. 
19 



290 



OCTOBER 9. 



What I do, thou knowest not now, but thou shalt 
know hereafter. — John xiii. 7. 

"TT"T"HEN providences seem dark, and the way be- 



V V fore me is not plain, do I still rest by faith on 
the wisdom and goodness of my heavenly Father ? Do 
I bear in mind that this world is not the world of re- 
sults, but a state of discipline and trial? Looking for- 
ward to the future state, am I perfectly satisfied that 
all will then be made plain ? And do I strive now to be 
found faithful in duty, leaving to the solution of the 
future all that is mysterious or painful in this earthly 
state ? 



Most of our difficulties and perplexities arise from 
our discussing what belongs to God. He does not 
reason with us, but replies to our suspicious reason- 
ing by displaying afresh the love of his heart, and the 
power of his arm. — H. Bonar. 

In Providence, as in the Scriptures, we must accept 
readily whatever is plain ; and whatever things are 
hid from us, we must pass them over, and in faith and 
patience wait for light — if need be, for the light of 
eternity. - 



God's plans, like lilies pure and white, unfold ; 

We must not tear the close-shut leaves apart ; 
Time will reveal the calyxes of gold, 

And show their fitness, to the waiting heart. 
And if, through patient toil, we reach the land, , 

"Where weary feet, with sandals loosed, may rest, 
"Where we shall know and clearly understand, 

Then we shall surely say. " God knew the best." 




OCTOBER 10. 



291 



Rejoice with them that do rejoice; weep with them 
that vjeep. — Ko^i. xii. 15. 
I X 0 I cultivate the spirit of sympathy toward all, 



and especially toward those in suffering and 
affliction? Do I interest myself in the joys and sor- 
rows of others, and do all I can to increase the 
former, and to soothe and lighten the latter ? Do I 
put away selfishness, and truly rejoice in the pros- 
perity and comfort of all about me ? As I have taken 
the name of Christ upon my lips, am I careful to keep 
his Spirit in my heart, and to manifest it in my life? 

One of the most blessed of all Christianity's lessons 
for this world is, that we rejoice with them that do 
rejoice, and weep with them that weep. The heart 
can give what gold cannot purchase. To be full of 
goodness and kindness and sympathy, is to be a bless- 
ing to yourself as well as to others. To joy in an- 
other's prosperity is to give content to your own lot ; 
to sympathize with another's grief, is to alleviate or 
dispel your own. * 



Wouldst thou from sorrow find a sweet relief? 

Or is thy heart oppressed with woes untold ? 
Balm wouldst thou gather from the deepest grief ? 

Pour blessings round thee, like a shower of gold. 
'Tis when the rose is wrapped in many a fold, 

Close to its heart the worm is wasting there 
Its life and beauty ; not when all unrolled, 

Leaf after leaf, its bosom rich and fair, 

Breathes freely its perfume throughout the ambient 
air. — C. Wilcox. 




292 



OCTOBER 11. 



God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor 
of love. — Heb. vi. 10, 

| \ 0 I remember that if I have faith, it must show 



1 J itself in works ? Am I working heartily and 
earnestly for God, and in doing good to men ? Do I 
aim- at this from love to him, and in gratitude for all 
he has done for me ? And if at any time I am dis- 
couraged or depressed by seeing little or no fruit of i 
my labors, do I draw encouragement from the fact 
that God does not and will not forget my labors of 
love if they have been done for him ? 



The good hope, is the fruitful hope ; the true faith, 
the faith that goes forth in works of obedience to 



Good works constitute a refreshing stream in this 
world, wherever they are found flowing. And behind 
them all, if they are genuine, and above them, as 
•their fountain, love will, sooner or later, certainly be 
found. It is never good works alone, but " love and 
good works ' ; as a complex whole, which make the 
fountain and its flowing stream. — Abnot. 



It is thine own, 0 Lord, 

Who toil while others sleep ; 
Who sow, with loving care, 

What other hands may reap ; 
They lean on thee, entranced, 

In calm and perfect rest ; 
Give us their peace, 0 Lord, 

Divine and ever blest. — A. Pbocteb. 




God. 



OCTOBER 12. 



293 



I seek not mine own glory. — John viii. 50. 
F even the divine Eedeemer conld so speak, how 



_1_ much more does it become his followers to cherish 
the same spirit ? Do I avoid both the weakness and 
the sin of seeking to exalt and glorify self? Bather, 
in the spirit of humility, do I earnestly aim and en- 
deavor to promote the interests and glory of God? 
Is his will, his honor, his kingdom, ever in my view ? 
Do I consecrate myself, with all that I am, and have, 
to their advancement ? 



Had I the faith of the patriarchs, the zeal of the 
prophets, the good works of the apostles, and the con- 
stancy of the martyrs, I would disclaim all as the 
ground of dependence, and rely only on free grace. I 
would count all as but dross, in comparison with the 
precious death and meritorious righteousness of Christ. 
— W. B. Sprague. 

He that makes earthly possessions, or honors, or 
pleasures, the main object of pursuit, seldom obtains 
his wishes; and even if he does, his enjoyment is 
marred by anxiety. But the desires of him who de- 
lights in the Lord, being in accordance with the divine 
will, are always granted, and even far exceeded. — W. 
Jay. 

On earth, 0 God, thou ever lovest best, 

To walk with those who truly mourn for sin. 

Oh come thou, then, and make thy chosen rest 
My broken, humble, contrite soul within ; 

Dwell, by thy Spirit, in my inmost heart; 

Make it thy temple ; never thence depart. 




294 



OCTOBER 13. 



Lord, remember vie. — Luke xxiii. 42. 

DOES this prayer faithfully echo the desires of my 
heart ? Do I wish and pray that God would 
remember me in all circumstances : in prosperity, to 
keep me humble and thankful ; in adversity, to sus- 
tain and comfort; in temptation, to deliver from evil; 
in duty, to give me strength ; in life, that I may 
always honor him ; in death, that I may be supported, 
and comforted, and be guided safely through the dark 
valley to everlasting life in heaven ? And at all times ; 
do I remember God, and strive to please him ? 



If we remember Christ in our life he will not fail to 
remember us in the hour of death. * 

If we are Christians, then are we the sons of God, 
and God is our Father. He loves us with a father's 
love ; and cares for us with a father's care ; and pro- 
vides for us with a father's wisdom ; and protects us 
with a father's tenderness and power. We should 
believe his love, and trust his promises, and rely on 
his guidance, and do all that we can to please and 
honor him. — J. Smith. 



How blest our years of life would flow, 

In faith, and hope, and joyous trust, 
"Would we but feel, as well as know, 

That God is kind as well as just. 
In all life's want, in all its woe, 

To highest throne, to lowliest sod, 
Help from on high his love doth send. 

Our truest, surest friend is God ! 



OCTOBER 14. 



295 



The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he 
addeth no sorrow with it. — Pbov. x. 22. 
TN all my plans and undertakings, do I seek the 



JL blessing of Gocl? Do I make it a point never to 
do anything in which I cannot ask him to bless me ? 
If he has given me health, or talents, or influence, or 
wealth, do I endeavor sacredly to use all as his stew- 
ard, knowing that I must soon give up my account to 
him ? In all that I have and am, do I acknowledge 
God, and ask his guidance and blessing; enjoying 
thankfully what he gives, and endeavoring with it to 
do good to others ? 

What a privilege is this, to enjoy God in all things 
while we have them, and all things in God when they 
are taken away ! 

There is nothing we can do, but its complexion for 
weal or woe depends entirely on what the Lord will 
make it. It is said of Matthew Henry that he under- 
took no journey, began no sermon, committed no book 
to the press, and never apprehended or felt any trouble 
or difficulty, or began any undertaking, without spe- 
cially asking for divine assistance and success. And 
Cornelius Winter never even opened a book without a 
moment's prayer. — J. Hamilton. 



All that God blesses, is our good ; 

And all unblest, is ill. 
All that seems dark shall brightly shine, 

If it be his sweet will. 
The meek God raiseth from the dust ; 
No evil conies to those who trust. 




296 



OCTOBER 15. 



Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked 
with us by the v:ay, and while he opened to us the 
Scriptures ? — Luke xxiv. 32. 

nr~\0 I prize as I ought the privilege of searching 



1 y the sacred Scriptures, and of communing with 
Christian friends as to the great truths and duties they 
make known? Is not such communion, communion 
with Christ himself, though we see him not with the 
bodily eye ? What is better fitted to kindle the feel- 
ings, and warm the heart and animate the life ? In 
such communion, does not Christ, as of old, often re- 
veal himself to his people ? 



Be much with Christ, and your face will shine, and 
all will see that you are his. — Beamwell. 

Religious instruction, religious conversation, relig- 
ious communion — do they not always increase religious 
knowledge, and quicken religious feeling, and lead to 
religious activity, and bring Christ near to the soul? 
How should we prize every opportunity for them, and 
improve them to the utmost. * 



We'll talk of all he said and did, 

And suffered for us here below, 
The path he marked for us to tread, 

And what he's doing for us now. 
Thus, as the moments pass away, 

Well love, and wonder, and adore, 
And hasten on the glorious day, 

When we shall meet to part no more. 




— J. Newton. 



OCTOBER 16. 



297 



Holding forth the word of life. — Phil. ii. 16. 

IS it my earnest endeavor not only to hold fast, but 
to hold forth the word of life ? Do I not only hold 
it fast for my own benefit, but hold it forth for the good 
of others ? Do I bear in mind that it is the duty of the 
Christian not only to work out his own salvation, but 
so to let his light shine that others may see his good 
works, and glorify his Father who is in heaven ? As 
I believe, so do I speak, and so also do I live ? 



Wilt thou not stir up all the vigor of grace within 
thee to do great service for thy Saviour on earth, that 
thy reward in heaven may be great ? Kemember that 
Jesus, the Judge, is coming apace ; and the lustre and 
weight of thy crown shall be according to thy work for 
him. — Harbatjgh. 

Every Christian should be a missionary to extend 
the knowledge of the gospel he has received, and to 
lead men to the Saviour whom he has found. As the 
disciples, of old, went everywhere preaching the gos- 
pel, so every disciple now should preach Christ to his 
fellow-men, that they may be won to him. 



Thou must thyself be true, 

If thou the truth wouldst teach ; 

Thy soul with love be filled, if thou 
Another's soul would reach. 

It needs the overflowing heart, 
To give the lips full speech. 

If thou to Christ hast found the way, 

Lead others to him day by day. 



298 



OCTOBER 17. 



He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also 
so to ivalk, even as he walked. — 1 John ii. 6. 
"T^vO I endeavor to be a faithful follower of him 



. 1 J whom I call my Lord and Master? Do I 
cherish his Spirit, and try to imitate his example of 
perfect obedience? Do I remember that he himself 
has said, that in keeping his commandments is the 
great proof that we truly love him? Do I try to 
walk as he walked, that I may honor him, and that 
by letting my light shine I may lead others to him ? 



The strong argument for the truth of Christianity 
is the true Christian ; the man filled with the Spirit 
of Christ. The best proof of Christ's resurrection is 
a living Church, which itself is walking in a new life, 
and drawing life from him who hath overcome death. 
— Cheistlieb. 

The Christian is the world's Bible. Men of the world 
do not read God's word to find oat what is religion. 
They look to the life and conduct of those who profess 
to believe it. A holy life is the most powerful preach- 
ing. Many a man has been led to Christ by the con- 
sistent life of some one of his followers. * 



My dear Eedeemer and my Lord, 

I read my duty in thy word ; 

But in thy life the law appears, 

Drawn out in living characters. 

Be thou my pattern ; make me bear, 

More of thy gracious image here ; 

Then God, the Judge, shall own my name, 

Among the followers of the Lamb. — Watts. 




OCTOBER 18. 



299 



Our sufficiency is of God. — 2 Cor. iii. 5. 
'N every hour of exposure or weakness, do I feel 



JL that my sufficiency is in God, and only in him ? 
And if through his grace, I have been enabled to 
overcome temptation, control appetite, subdue selfish 
inclination, or to do anything for God's glory, do I 
give all the praise to him ? Do I check self-com- 
placency, and self-reliance, and render thanks to God 
for his sufficiency and aid which were granted to me 
in the hour of need ? 



Everything is to be found in God by those who for 
the sake of God are willing to give up everything. — 
Augustine. 

God will help not once or twice, but at all times, 
if we ask him. What then would he have me to do ? 
Only to trust in him, call upon him, and watch and 
acknowledge his hand. Trust his word, for it is true ; 
call upon him, for he hath promised ; watch his hand 
in the dispensations of providence, for he will do as he 
has said. — J. Smith. 



Thou art the source and centre of all minds, 
Their only point of rest, eternal word ! 
From thee is all that soothes the life of man, 
His high endeavor and his glad success, 
His strength to suffer and his will to serve. 
But, oh ! thou bounteous Giver of all good, 
Thou art, of all thy gifts, thyself the crown. » 
Give what thou canst, without thee we are poor, 
And with thee, rich, take what thou wilt away. 




— Cowper. 



300 



OCTOBER 19. 



The Lord trieth the hearts. — Peov. xvii. 3. 



0 I bear in mind, at all times, that he who 



1 J tries my heart is omniscient, and that all things 
are open to his eye ? Do I realize that every wrong 
thought, or feeling, or purpose, — that every allowed 
or cherished sin, whether great or small, is at once 
known to him ; that nothing escapes his notice ? In 
all my thoughts, plans, words, and deeds, do I re- 
member that I am in God's presence? Does this 
solemn truth keep me from sinning, and encourage 
me to all that is good? 



Our great Master commands a view, not only of 
our outward actions, but of the very thoughts of our 
hearts. And not only so, but we know that he is 
constantly watching us, not to blame merely if we do 
wrong, but to prompt, and help, and encourage us. 
What an incentive to diligence. — Vincent. 

A good conscience is the palace of Christ, the tem- 
ple of the Holy Ghost, the paradise of delight, the 
standing Sabbath of the saints. — Augustine. 



Search my heart, my actions prove ; 

Try my thoughts as they arise ; 
For thy kindness and thy love 

Ever are before my eyes. 
Keep my soul from all offence ; 

All my supplications hear ; 
Let me walk in innocence ; 

Let me, Lord, thy mercy share. 




— W. Weangham. 



OCTOBER 20. 



301 



God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted 
above that ye are able. — 1 Cob. x. 13. 

DO I feel, with comfort, that though the world and 
those in it may prove false, yet God is for ever 
true, and is the sure and unfailing stay of his chil- 
dren? Do I feel, as well as know, that he is wise as 
well as faithful, and that he knows how to proportion 
our burdens to our strength ? Am I diligent to keep 
myself out of the way of temptation, remembering 
that God does not promise strength to those who will- 
fully expose themselves to its power ? 



Continual comfort and prosperity would be unsafe 
for us. Continual affliction would be hard upon us. 
Therefore our gracious Lord appoints us changes. 
Comforts and trials are interwoven in our dispensa- 
tions ; and so closely, that hardly an hour passes, in 
which we have not many causes for thankfulness. — 
J. Newton. 

God's children are most triumphant when most 
tempted ; most glorious, when most afflicted ; most 
in God's favor, when least in man's. As their con- 
flicts, so their conquests; as their tribulations, so 
their triumphs. — Spencer. 



Meek souls there are, who little deem 
Their daily strife an angel's theme ; 
Nor think the cross they take so calm, 
May prove, in heaven, a martyr's palm ; 
That God's own hand, though trials frown, 
Is leading to the heavenly crown ! 



302 



OCTOBER 21. 



Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him. — Ps. 
xxxvii. 7. 

IN all circumstances does my soul find its rest m 
God ? Am I reconciled to all that lie does, and 
satisfied with all the allotments of his providence? 
Do I acquiesce in whatever he appoints, because he, 
who knows what is right and best, has appointed it ? 
Am I satisfied that he will make all things work for 
my good, though I do not now see when or how it can 
be? Do I rest, submissively and confidently, in his 
wisdom and unfailing love, and in his ceaseless care 
for my best, my immortal interests ? 



A patient bearing of what is laid upon us, and a 
patient expectation of what is further appointed for 
us, are as much our interest, as they are our duty ; 
for it will make us always easy, and give us a realiza- 
tion of rest in the Lord. — Matthew Heney. 

The nearer the soul is to God, the less its perturba- 
tions; as the point nearest the centre of the circle, is 
least subject to motion. Calm and patient trust in 
him, alwa}^s gives rest to the soul. 



Long did I toil, and knew no earthly rest ; 

Far did I rove, and found no certain home ; 
At last I sought them in his sheltering breast, 

Who opes his arms, and bids the weary come. 
"With him I found a home, a rest divine ; 
And I since then am his, and he is mine. 

— H. F. Lyte. 



OCTOBER 22. 



303 



In the day of adversity, consider. — Eccl. vn. 14. 
HEN affliction or trouble comes, do I see the 
hand of God in it, and feel that it comes with, 
designs of good from on high ? Does the thought that 
it is sent by a loving and unerring Father, who knows 
what is best, keep me from murmuring or repining? 
If my plans and hopes are frustrated, do I bow sub- 
missively to the divine will, and ask for grace wisely 
to improve the teachings of God's providence, that 
they may all lead me nearer to him ? 




No physician ever weighed out medicine to his 
patient with half so much exactness and care as God 
weighs out to us every trial : not one grain too much 
does he ever permit to be put in the scale. — Cecil. 

This may be said of the trials of all God's servants 
in all ages, that love appoints them, wisdom chooses 
them, Providence arranges them, promises are provided 
for them, grace supports under them, and glory shall 
be the issue of them all. — Cadman. 



What would God have this trial do for me ? 
What golden fruit lies hidden in its husk ? 
How shall it nurse my virtue, nerve my will, 
Chasten my passions, purify my love, 
And make me in some goodly sense like him, 
Who bore the cross of evil while he lived, 
And hung and bled upon it when he died, 
And now in glory wears the victor's crown ? 

— J. G. Holland. 



304 



OCTOBER 23. 



Exercise thyself, rather, unto godliness. — 1 Tra. 



0 I endeavor to live not merely a moral, but a 



1 J truly godly life ? Is the glory of God my aim ; 
the will of God, my rule ; the Son of God, my depend- 
ence ; the Spirit of God, my sanctifier, and comforter, 
and guide, my helper in every duty and from day to 
day ? Do I diligently and prayerfully exercise myself 
to these ends, studying to know and do the will of 
God ? Do I feel that as to do good, I must he good ; 
so to be good, I must do good ? Do I endeavor to be 
faithful to God, as well as to man? 



To live godly, we must know God by the teachings 
of his Spirit ; believe on him as reconciled in Christ ; 
and love him as our heavenly Father. We shall then 
love his law, and gladly be governed by his command- 
ments. His word will be precious to us ; his Sabbaths, 
delightful; his worship, pleasant ; his ordinances, sweet; 
his service, a joy. In a word, we shall walk holily with 
God; it will be our meat and drink to do his will; and 
being no longer our own, but bought with a price, we 
shall glorify him in our bodies and spirits which are his. 
— Btjedee. 



Jesus, thy crowning grace impart ; 
Bless me with holiness of heart, 

That living thus for thee, 
I may behold thine open face, 
And glorify thy saving grace, 

And God for ever see ! — C. Wesley. 



iv. 7. 




OCTOBER 24. 



305 



If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do 
them. — John xiii. 17. 

HAVE I that well-founded, and satisfying, and 
abiding happiness, which comes from knowing 
and doing the will of God? Do I receive his truth 
in love, and endeavor to obey his commands, and seek 
to cherish his Spirit, and believe in the wisdom and 
goodness of his providence, and firmly rely on his 
promises, and try to live for his glory? If so, have 
I not the very elements of happiness within me, and 
how can I do otherwise than rejoice in God, and joy 
in the rock of my salvation ? 



Happiness is like manna : it is to be sought from 
God, and gathered in grains, and enjoyed every day, 
as we press on in the way to which we are pointed by 
the divine command. It will not keep ; it cannot be 
accumulated ; it is not to be sought in remote places, 
or out of ourselves ; but in our daily path, where, if 
we walk with God, he will rain it down, as we need 
it, from heaven. '* 

" I hear you have given up all your pleasures/' said 
a man of the world to a friend who had been converted. 
" No," said the other, " I never knew what pleasure was 
till now; and as I have tried the pleasures both of sin 
and religion, while you have only tried the former, I 
ought to be the best judge." — Wise. 



To take a glimpse with'n the veil, 
To know that Christ is mine, 

Are springs of joy that never fail, 
Unspeakable, divine. — J. Newton. 

20 



306 



OCTOBER 25. 



He shall be like a tree planted by the rivei*s of water, 
that bring eth forth his fruit in his season. — Ps. i. 3. 

AM I daily growing in the knowledge and love 
of God ? Is my tendency, like that of the tree, 
ever upward ? As the tree is firmly rooted in the earth, 
so am I rooted and grounded in the faith ? As the tree 
draws life from the air, so do I draw life from the Holy 
Spirit ? As the tree is nourished by the rivers of water, 
so do I daily receive fresh supplies from the ever-flow- 
ing streams of God's mercy and goodness ? As the tree 
brings forth fruit in its season, so do I improve every 
season, to bring forth fruit to the glory of Christ, my 

Saviour ? 

Even the leaf of those who bring forth only the 
leaves of profession without any good fruit, shall 
wither. But if the word of God rule in the heart, 
that will keep the profession green, both to our com- 
fort and credit, and we shall bear much fruit for God. 
— Matthew Henry. 

The branch is wholly dependent on the vine ; and so 
are we on Christ : it derives all its supplies from the 
vine; and so should we from Christ. Let us rest on 
Christ ; trust in Christ ; look for all to Christ ; and so 
walk in union and constant fellowship with Christ. 
Thus shall we honor our Saviour, and bring forth 

fruit for him. — * 

See the trees thine hand hath planted ; 

Watch them with thy constant care ; 
Oh let our request be granted, 

Make them fruitful ; make them fair. 
Planted by thine hand, may we, 
Each bring forth rich fruit for thee ! 



OCTOBER 26. 



307 



The love of Christ constraineth us. — 2 Cok. v. 14. 
~\ UGHT not the Christian's life to be devoted to 



the service of him who gave his own life that 
we might live ? Does the love of Christ constrain me 
to make him the great end of my life and conduct? 
Does it lead me to love his person, to honor his name, 
to embrace his doctrine, to obey his commands, to 
promote his cause, to submit to his cross, to love his 
people, to look forward to his coming ? Does it grieve 
me to see his love slighted ? Do I do all that I can 
to lead others to feel its power ? 



The great ends of life are best gained by him who 
in all his conduct is animated by the love of Christ.— 
McLeod. 

The more we know of Jesus and his love, the more 
precious he becomes to us. He is precious in health, 
but more so in sickness ; precious in life, but more so 
in death ; precious in his person, in his blood, in his 
promises, in his presence here, and will be unspeak- 
ably more so in heaven ! Holy Spirit, aid' me to feel 
his love ; and make him more and more precious to 
me every day, till I see him as he is ! — J. Smith. 



Oh ! for this love let rocks and hills 

Their lasting silence break ; 
And all harmonious human tongues 

The Saviour's praises speak. 
Angels, assist our mighty joys ; 

Strike all your harps of gold ; 
But when you raise your highest notes, 

His love can ne'er be told ! — Watts. 




308 



OCTOBER 27. 



As the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. 



0 I feel that whatever the circumstances or 



1 * position in life in which God has placed me, 
there is the post of duty, and there I am to serve and 
honor him ? Wherever I am, do I endeavor to walk 
according to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus? 
Do I seek for grace to enable me to be faithful as a 
disciple of the Saviour, and so to live as to commend 
my faith to others ? Am I willing, everywhere, to 
acknowledge Christ, and to follow him ? 



Happy are they who dare venture out in the open 
street with the name of Christ upon their foreheads 
at a time when many are ashamed of him and hide 
him, as it were, under their cloaks, as if he were a 
stolen Saviour. — Eutheefoed. 

A Christian, when he has made a good profession, 
should so live as to make his profession good. It is a 
sad thing when one who professes to be carrying a 
lantern for others, is himself walking in darkness. — 
Peckham. 



The Saviour lives ! His life is mine ; 

Then let my life be wholly his. 
Eise up, my soul, with power divine, 

Tread down the sin that in thee is. 
Walk in the light ; arise and shine ; 
The weak his arms of strength entwine. 



■1 Coe. vii. 17. 




— A. Waenee. 



OCTOBER 28. 



309 



If any man draw bach, my soul shall have no 



0 I feel that it is as truly important to go on in 



JLy the divine life, as it was to enter it ? And if 
I am not pressing onward, is it not sad evidence that 
I have never begun the Christian course? Do I 
guard against the allurements of the world, and the 
temptations of the adversary, and the deceitfulness 
of my own heart ; and is it my earnest prayer, that I 
may be kept by the mighty power of God, through 
faith, unto eternal salvation ? 



Backsliding develops itself in indifference to prayer 
and self-examination ; trifling or unprofitable conver- 
sation; neglect of public ordinances; shunning the 
people of God ; associating with the world ; thinking 
lightly of sin ; neglecting the Bible ; ending, if not 
repented of and forsaken, in a rapid run to perdition. 
— Buck. 

Faint not under the perils or trials of the way. 
The miles to heaven are few and short, and the glori- 
ous end will come soon. — Rtttheefoed. 

There is no bitterer work than seeking for a de- 
parted Christ — departed and gone, because he has 
been driven away. — Powee. 



Oh give me, Lord, the tender heart, 
That trembles at the approach of sin ; 

A godly fear of guilt impart ; 
Implant and root it deep within. 

Oh may thy wondrous love to me, 

For ever bind my soul to thee ! 



pleasure in him, — Heb. x. 38. 




310 



OCTOBER 29. 



Without holiness no man shall seethe Lord. — Heb. 
xii. 14. 

DO I bear in mind that the whole course of my 
life here, is the preparation for what I shall be 
hereafter ; and that without holiness on earth, I can- 
not expect to be holy or happy in heaven 0 Do I en- 
deavor, then, by a life of penitence and faith and holy 
living on earth, to be fitted, through divine grace, to 
see God in heaven ? If justified through Christ, so as 
to have a title to heaven, do I seek to be sanctified 
through the truth and by the Holy Spirit, so as to 
be made fit to enter there ? 



If here on earth we do not delight in holiness, we 
have no preparation for that world where God is to 
be all in all for ever. — Melvill. 

The tree will not only lie as it falls, but it will fall 
as it leans. And the great question every one should 
bring home to himself, is, " What is the inclination 
of my soul? Does it, with all its affections and 
powers, lean toward God, or away from him?'' — 
Gurnet. 



Pure are the joys above the sky, 

And all the region peace ; 
No wanton lip, nor envious eye, 

Can see or taste its bliss. 
Those holy gates for ever bar 

Pollution, sin. and shame ; 
None shall obtain admittance there, 

But followers of the Lamb ! — Watts. 



OCTOBER SO. 



311 



Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God. — Eph. iv. 30. 



0 I endeavor to be always obedient to the dic- 



I J tates of divine truth, and to listen to the voice 
of conscience, when it speaks, either as to duty or 
danger? Am I careful, in these things, not to grieve 
the Holy Spirit, who is ever seeking to enlighten, and 
sanctify, and guide, and comfort, all who are striving 
to be faithful ? Do I avoid those worldly allurements, 
and besetting sins, and evil passions, and unhallowed 
thoughts, which lead the soul away from God? In all 
things do I seek to cherish the Spirit of Christ ? 



To grieve the Holy Spirit, is to shut the door of 
heaven against one's own entrance. 

The sorrow for sin which is the effect of heated feel- 
ing only, will surely die away ; and that which pro- 
ceeds from remorse of conscience, is seldom lasting. 
But the contrition which is lodged in the soul by the 
Spirit of God, nothing can destroy. No length of 
time can efface, and no sense of pardon can weaken 
it. — Bradley. 



Gracious Spirit, love divine, 
Let thy light within me shine; 
All my guilty fears remove ; 
Fill me with thy heavenly love ; 
Let me never from thee stray; 
Keep me in the narrow way ; 
Fill my soul with joy divine ; 
Keep me, Lord ; for ever thine ! 




— Stock er. 



312 



OCTOBER 31. 



Sanctify them through thy truth : thy word is truth. 
— lows xYii, 17, 

DO I seek for sanctification. as well as for justifi- 
cation ; to be made holy, as well as to be for- 
given : to be cleansed from sin, as well as pardoned 
for sin? Do I feel that conversion is but the first 
step in the divine life: and am I prayerfully earnest 
to grow in grace, and in the experimental knowledge 
of Christ ? Forgetting the things that are behind, am 
I daily pressing on toward the mark for the prize of 
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus ? 



Christ is the pattern, the sample, the exemplary 
cause of our sanctification. Holiness in us, is the 
copy or transcript of the holiness that is in the Lord 
Jesus. As the wax hath line for line from the seal ; 
the child, limb for limb, and feature for feature from 
the father, so is holiness in us from Christ. — Philip 
Henby. 

The word of God is both the rule and the means of 
our sanctification. Study it with diligence and prayer, 
if you would grow in grace. * 



The light of truth to us display, 

And make us know and choose thy way ; 

Plant holy fear in every heart, 

That we from God may not depart. 

Lead us to holiness, the road, 

That we must take to dwell with God ; 

Lead us to Christ, the living way, 

Kor let us from his precepts stray. — S. Browne. 



NOVEMBER 1. 



313 



Rejoice in the Lord always ; and again I say, Re- 
joice. — Phil. iv. 4. 

DO I realize that all my joy, to be satisfying and 
permanent, must not only have its source in God, 
but must terminate in him ? Do I feel it to be alike 
my duty and privilege, to rejoice in God, and to re- 
joice in him at all times, and in all circumstances : in 
prosperity, in the fullness of his blessings ; and in ad- 
versity, that I have still so many mercies, and that 
even trial and sorrow, may work out for me everlast- 
ing joy? If I do not rejoice, is it not because I do 
not live up to the privileges and promises of the 
gospel ? _____ 

The joy of the Christian is the joy of heaven, be- 
ginning here, and flowing on to its perfection and. full- 
ness there. 

The true spirit of religion cheers, as well as com- 
poses the soul. It banishes, indeed, all levity of be- 
havior, and all vicious and dissolute mirth ; but in 
exchange, it fills the soul with perpetual serenity, un- 
interrupted cheerfulness, and an habitual inclination 
to please and do good to others, as well as to be happy 
in itself. — Addison. 

The hill of Zion yields, 

A thousand sacred sweets, 
Before we reach the heavenly fields, 

Or walk the golden streets. 
Then let our songs abound, 

And every tear be dry ; 
"We're marching through Immanuel's ground, 

To fairer worlds on high. — Watts. 



314 



NOVEMBER 2. 



There is no fear in love ; but perfect lore casteth 
out fear. — 1 John iv. 18. 

AM I careful to draw the distinction between the 
fear of reverence, and the fear of apprehension 
and dread ? Do I feel that the former is the very first 
element of religion, while the latter arises from a 
sense of sin unpardoned, and is fitted to alarm the 
soul ? Have I that holy fear and reverence for God 
which leads me to honor him, and which is consistent 
with the full assurance of his love ? And if I love 
him, and feel that he loves me, may I not well rejoice 
and triumph in his love ? 



The fear of God casts out all other fears, and brings 
quiet and peace where they brought trouble. — 
Leightox. 

The devils, we are told, believe and tremble ; but 
our part is to believe and not tremble, but love. It 
is hard to convince some that nothing short of this 
can be true Christian faith. So, because they are 
somewhat terrified by the thought of God, the} T fancy 
they believe, though their hearts are far away from 
him — Hare. . 

Thee will I love, my strength, my tower, 
My hope, my life, my joy. my crown ; 

Thee will I love with all my power, 
Supremely love — love thee alone. 

Love's sacred flame, a heavenly fire, 

Shall ever glow with pure desire, 

My heart from self and sin set free, 

A holy temple, Lord, for thee. 



NOVEMBER 3. 



315 



In his favor is life. — Ps. xxx. 5. 

DO I desire, above all things, to have the favor of 
God, and to be assured, by faith, that I am one 
of his children? Do I endeavor, by the aid of his 
Holy Spirit, so to order my life, that the full sunlight 
of his favor may continually shine in upon my soul ? 
If the light of his countenance is at any time with- 
drawn and hidden from me, do I prayerfully seek out 
the reason, and endeavor so to live as to be assured 
that his promises are mine ? 



God's favor must be sought in time, if we would 
enjoy it either in time or eternity. * 

Just as the sun gleams over the palace, and into 
the cottage, flushing alike with its splendor the coun- 
cil-chamber of the monarch and the kitchen of the 
peasant, so religion illumines at once the heaven of 
our hopes, and the earth of our cares. Secularities 
become hallowed ; toil brightens with the smile of God ; 
business becomes as the air of heaven, a means of -life 
and growth to us; light from God comes through it 
to us ; and glances from us, go through it up to God. 
— Coley. 



Show me thy face ; the heaviest cross 

Will then seem light to bear ; 
There will be gain in every loss, 

And peace with every care. 
With such light feet the years will fleet, 

Life will seem brief as blest; 
Till I have laid my burden down, 

And entered into rest. 



316 



NOVEMBER 4. 



We then, as workers together with him, beseech you, 
also, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. — 
2 Cor. vi. 1. 



J L my soul ? And knowing its infinite value, as 

a worker together with God do I labor for the good 
of others around me, endeavoring to lead them to a 
Christian life? Am I earnest, diligent, patient, pray- 
erful in the work God has given me to do, improA T ing 
the present to the utmost, because the future is not 
sure ? Do I expect as well as pray for a blessing on 
every effort to do good ? 



If you would have great grace, undertake great 
things for Christ. — Payson. 

Blessed are they who shall see the day of Christ's 
coming glory ; but more blessed are they who con- 
tribute to its approach. — Seckee. 

Every day is a golden opportunity which the Father 
of mercies has put into our hands for moral and relig- 
ious purposes, that we may ourselves be advancing in 
the divine life, and doing good to others. — Bruce. 



0 Christ ! thou art my king, 

My king, henceforth, alone ; 
My heart, my life, to thee I bring, 

For I am all thine own. 
Let this my joy, my life, my life-work be, 
To die to self, to live my Lord, to thee ! 




received the grace of God in 



— Tersteegen. 



NOVEMBER 5. 



317 



He is our peace. — Eph. ii. 14. 
"AVE I come by faith to the Saviour, and ac- 



Jl L cepted that peace which he purchased for me 

on the cross? Have I, through his grace, and the 
influence of the Holy Spirit, that sense of pardoned 
sin which only can give peace ? Do I look for peace 
and comfort to any other source than to him? Know- 
ing that he is both able and willing to forgive sin, why, 
if I trust him, should I not take the full comfort of 
the peace that he gives to his people ? 



Peace is put for reconciliation and love ; and the 
peace bequeathed by Christ, is peace with God, peace 
with one another, and peace in our own hearts. The 
last seems especially meant; a tranquillity of mind 
arising from a sense of our justification with God. — 
M. Henry. 

Where the peace is that Christ gives, all the trouble 
and disgust of the world cannot disturb it. All out- 
ward distress to such a mind, is but as the rattling of 
hail upon the tiles to him who sits within the house 
at a sumptuous banquet.— Leig-hton. 



Quiet as the peaceful river, 

Quiet as the wind-hushed seas, 
In Jehovah trusting ever, 

We are kept in perfect peace. 
This our constant heart consoleth — 

So we never are afraid — 
That our heavenly Father ruleth, 

And on him our trust is stayed. 




318 



NOVEMBER 6. 



I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to 
repentance. — Matt. ix. 13. 

TTAYE I seen and felt myself to be one of those 



A L lost and helpless sinners whom Christ came to 

seek and save? Do I feel that but for his grace, I 
have no hope either of being or doing good, or of 
being saved at last in heaven? Is my obedience to 
his will the fruit of my faith in him, and of my love 
to him ? Do I feel that the holiest life can give no 
title to heaven ; and do I look to good works as the 
evidence and offspring of faith, and not as giving a 
claim to the divine favor? 



Are you busy and painstaking in the attempt to 
work out a righteousness of your own? Leave that 
loom, and your vows and promises which are but 
gossamer thread. The white linen that robes the 
saint, the raiment meet for thy soul and approved 
of God, was woven on the cross, and there it was 
dyed in the blood of the Son of God. — Guthkie. 

Good works do not make a Christian ; but one must 
be a Christian to do good works. The tree bringeth 
forth the fruit, not the fruit the tree. None is made 
a Christian by works, but by Christ; and being in 
Christ, he brings forth fruit for him. — Luthek. 



Not what I am, 0 Lord, but what thou art, 
That, that alone can be my soul's true rest ; 

Thy love, not mine, bids fear and doubt depart, 
And stills the tempest of my tossing breast ; 

Feeling my lost estate, I list thy call, 

And find in thee my life, my hope, my all ! 




NOVEMBER 7. 



319 



Come ; for all things are now ready. — Luke xiv. 17. 

AS the blessed Saviour has prepared the feast of 
salvation, have I accepted the invitation to it ? 
Or am I postponing it to some future season? Am I 
so living now, that whenever called away, I may be 
prepared to sit down at the marriage supper of the 
Lamb? For all the offered blessings of the gospel 
am I devoutly thankful ? Do I endeavor so to im- 
prove them all, that at last I shall be welcomed to the 
blessed and endless fellowship of heaven ? 



Those who are satisfied with the world for their 
portion and seek not for happiness in God, feel no 
need for accepting the gospel invitation, and are in no 
uneasiness about their souls. But those who labor 
and are heavy laden are invited, and they come. — 
Matthew Henby. 

You are guilty, and only Christ can forgive ; sinful, 
and only Christ can cleanse ; weak, and only Christ 
can strengthen ; wandering, and only Christ can safely 
guide. There is wrath, and only Christ can deliver. 
You are lost, and only Christ can save. Come to him 
just as you are, poor, needy, naked, empty, wretched ; 
only come, and he will receive you, and be your por- 
tion for ever. — Mason c 



Long have we roamed in want and pain ; 
Long have we sought thy rest in vain ; 
'Wildered in doubt, in darkness lost, 
Long have our souls been tempest tost. 
Now at thy feet our sins we lay ; 
Turn not, 0 Lord, thy guests away. — Hebee, 



320 



NOVEMBER 8. 



Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose 
sin is covered. — Ps. xxxii. 1. 

AMI one of those blessed ones who having re- 



ence, have come to Christ, and accepted him as the 
only and all-sufficient Saviour ? Have I found in his 
atonement, a sure ground of hope ; and in his right- 
eousness, an ample robe and covering for my soul? 
Do I find in him the rest and peace which he freely 
offers to all his true disciples ? Has my repentance 
led me to avoid sin ; and my faith led me to works of 
holy obedience ? 



A good conscience is a continual feast ; and a mind 
at peace through Christ, is the antepast of heaven. — 
Bishop Reynolds. 

Justification includes the forgiveness of sin through 
Christ's passive obedience, and the imputation of 
righteousness through his active obedience. — Grew. 

Go where you will, and your soul will find no rest 
but in Christ's bosom. Inquire for him ; come to 
him, and rest you on Christ, the Son of God. I sought 
him and found him ; and I found in him all I can 
wish or want. — Rutherford. 



Mine is the sin, but thine the righteousness : 
Mine is the guilt, but thine the cleansing blood ; 

Here is my robe, my refuge, and my peace ; 
Thy blood, thy righteousness, 0 Lord, my God. 

My hope, my strength, my happiness I find, 

In thee, 0 blessed Saviour, all combined ! 




renounced all self-depend- 



NOVEMBER 9. 



321 



Open thou mine eyes, that I m ay behold wondrous 
things out of thy law. — Ps. cxix. 18. 

IS my knowledge of divine truth, experimental? 
Do I not only find in the Bible the teachings of 
infinite wisdom, revealing truths that no mere finite 
mind could ever have discovered, but am I so en- 
lightened by the Holy Spirit, that I feel, in my own 
experience, the fitness of these truths to my own case, 
and see them beaming with the goodness and mercy 
of their divine Author? The more I study the Scrip- 
tures, the more do I love them ? The more do I make 
them the man of my counsel, and the guide of all my 
conduct ? 

Never do we gain the most vivid and realizing 
views of divine truth, but through the direct influence 
of the Holy Spirit. Under that influence, we get new 
views of old truths ; strong views of truths which be- 
fore made little impression ; near views of truths 
which have hitherto seemed distant; realizing views 
of truths which have only been themes of cold specu- 
lation; and joyous and transporting views of truths, 
which have been regarded with indifference and luke- 
warmness, or with a hesitating and joyless faith. — 
G. Speing. 

The Spirit's light, doth to the sight, 
Unfold the truth divinely given ; 

Of joy the source, of peace the course, 
The joy, the . peace, the hope of heaven ! 

It comes, and lo ! a precious light, 

Beams in the word, divinely bright, 
And gives it sanctifying force ! 

21 



322 



NOVEMBER 10. 



Whoso shall confess me before men, him will I also 
confess before my Father which is in heaven. — Matt. 
x. 32. 

DO I feel it to be a duty, not only to believe on 
Christ, but to confess him before men ? If un- 
willing or ashamed to acknowledge him as my Saviour 
now, how can I expect that he will acknowledge me, 
as one of his followers and redeemed ones, before the 
assembled universe, at the final judgment? What is 
there in the person, doctrines, service, or friendship 
of Christ, of which any one should be ashamed ; in 
which all should not glory? 



It is wonderful what strength and boldness of pur- 
pose and energy of will come from the feeling that we 
are in the way of duty. — J. Foster. 

Christ would have us decided. He would have us 
willing witnesses ; living epistles, known and read of 
all men. He asks the whole heart : the whole pur- 
pose ; the whole life : and he well deserves them all. 
If we are ashamed of his name, or his cause, or his 
service, or his people here, he will be ashamed of us 

hereafter. * 

Ashamed of Jesus ! yes, I may, 
When I've no guilt to wash away ; 
No tear to wipe ; no good to crave ; 
No fears to quell, no soul to save. 
Till then — nor is my boasting vain — 
Till then I boast a Saviour slain ! 
And oh may this my glory be, 
That Christ is not ashamed of me ! 

— J. Geigg. 



NOVEMBER 11. 



323 



Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn 
unto the Lord your God. — Joel ii. 13. 
"TS my heart sincerely penitent and truly humbled 



of the consequences to myself, than because my sins 
have violated God's holy law, and grieved so patient 
and loving and long-suffering a Saviour? Do I re- 
member that God is not satisfied with mere words; 
that he requires a broken and contrite spirit — a heart- 
repentance, evidenced by a loving, obedient life ? 



How long-suffering and patient is God with sin- 
ners ; how slow to punish ; how unwilling to strike ! 
If "there be but a hope of recovery, how many pauses 
doth he make on his way to justice? — Spencer. 

Sorrow for sin only because it exposes to punish- 
ment, is not true repentance. He that sorrows after 
a godly sort, would not sin, though escape from con- 
sequences were possible : for his heart is changed ; he 
is renewed in the spirit of his mind ; he loves God and 
his service, and has lost his relish for the pleasures of 
sin. — Walker, 



Oh, for a heart to praise my God ! 

A heart from sin set free ; 
A heart that always feels thy blood, 

So freely shed for me ; 
A heart in every thought renewed, 

And filled with love divine ; 
Perfect, and right, and pure, and good, 

A copy, Lord, of thine ! — C. Wesley. 




Is my sorrow less on account 



324 



NOVEMBER 12. 



Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. — Mark 
ix. 24. 

DO I receive implicitly all the teachings of Christ, 
and trust implicitly all his offers and promises, 
venturing my all on him for time and eternity ? If 
my faith is weak, do I pray for its increase? Do I 
look away from my own weakness, and narrow views, 
and occasional doubts and fears, to the infinite power 
and truthfulness and the rich and abundant promises 
of Christ, that by these my faith may be strengthened, 
and mv confidence and trust be made sure? 



Difficulties, whether as to truth or providence, which 
we reckon on meeting in our path, strangely but effect- 
ually vanish when we are seeking Christ. An unseen 
Hand has cleared them away before we come, just as 
the mists are dispersed by the rising of the sun. 

What was said of the Israelites, that w they could 
not enter in because of unbelief,'' may be said of many 
of our prayers, that they cannot enter heaven because 
they are not put up in faith. — Salter. 

The best way to remove doubts and fears, is, to have 
Christ within you. Learn his life ; learn to trust him 
more and love him more ; become identified with him, 
and all your doubts will disappear. — C. Hodge. 



That childlike faith that asks not sight, 
Waits not for wonder, or for sign, 

Believes, because it loves aright, 

Shall see things greater, things divine. 

— Keble. 



NOVEMBER 13. 



325 



Unto you that fear my name, shall the Sun of right- 
eousness arise. — Mal. iv. 2. 

HAVE I found Christ, to my soul, what the sun 
is to the visible world — light to disperse its 
darkness, and to give life and health and joy? Do 
I always desire and seek that this divine light may 
shine into my soul, to disperse the darkness of igno- 
rance and prejudice, and to lead me to clear views of 
truth and duty? Do I seek to lead others to this 
light ? Is it my prayer and effort that it may shine 
to all mankind ? _____ 

The soul that truly fears and loves God will always 
have light and strength and peace from on high. — J. 
Mason. 

It is not toiling, but believing, that brings rest and 
joy, and peace. It is not doing or suffering, bat sim- 
ply believing that Christ has suffered and done. It is 
not waiting, but believing now. It is not seeking to 
make one's self better, but coming in all our sinfulness, 
that Christ may make us so. It is through him we 
come to know the love of God ; and in this is rest and 
peace. — K. Newton. 



All my trust on thee is stayed ; 

All my help from thee I bring ; 
Cover my defenceless head 

With the shadow of thy wing. 
Thou of life the fountain art, 

Freely let me take of thee ; 
Spring thou up within my heart; 

Rise to all eternity. — C. Wesley. 



326 



NOVEMBER If 



He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithf ul, 
also, in much. — Luke xvi. 10. 

I \0 I realize, as I should, the importance of little 



I J things, in their bearing on character, and attain- 
ments, and usefulness ? Though it seem but a little 
duty, do I endeavor to honor God in it ? Though it 
seem but a little temptation, do I shun it as the gate- 
way to hell ? Though it may be but little that I can 
do, do I seek to please and serve God in it, remember- 
ing his own lesson, that we are not to. despise the day 
of small things ? 



He that despiseth small things, shall fall by little 
and little. — Ecclesiasticvs. 

Life is made up of little things. He who travels 
over a continent must go step by step. He who writes 
a book must do it sentence by sentence : he who learns 
a science must master it fact by fact, and principle after 
principle. Of what is the happiness of our life made up ? 
Of little courtesies, little kindnesses, pleasant words, 
genial smiles, loving wishes and good deeds. One in a 
million, once in a lifetime, may do a heroic action. But 
the little things that make up our life, come every day 
and every hour. 



Aid us to strive, with earnest soul, 

Thy work to do. though small the measure, 

Knowing it part of one great whole, 

All tending to our highest goal, 
Thy perfect will and pleasure ! 




NOVEMBER 15. 



327 



In all things we are more than conquerors, through 
him that hath loved us. — Bom. viii. 37. 

I \0 I feel that in Christ, and in the promised aid 



i J of his Holy Spirit, is my only hope of over- 
coming the world, and self, and sin ? Does the love 
of Christ animate me, and his sympathy encourage 
me, and his promise assure me, and his Spirit 
strengthen and comfort me, so that I faint not in 
adversity, and endure afflictions, and fight manfully 
the good fight of faith? Do I feel that I am con- 
quering, and that in the end I shall triumphantly and 
for ever conquer through the grace of Christ ? 



There are depths of love in Christ beyond all that 
we have seen. Therefore dig deep, and labor, and take 
pains for him, and set by as much time for him as you 
can. He will be won by labor. — Rutherford. 

Deeper than the love of home, or of kindred, or of 
rest and recreation, or of life itself, is the love of 
Jesus. His love to us will ever sustain and keep us 
from falling ; and our love to him will constrain us to 
be faithful to the end, so that at last the crown of 
life may be ours. — J. Hamilton. 



But fainter than the pole star's ray 
Before the noon-tide blaze of day, 
Is all of love that man can know, 
And all in angels' hearts can glow, 
Compared, 0 Lord of hosts, with thine, 
Unwearied, fathomless, divine ! 




328 



NOVEMBER 16. 



Leaning upon her beloved, — Sol. Song viii. 5. 
\0 I feel that the ways of sin are like a wilder- 



1 J ness? And by repentance and faith have I 
come up from, and out of it, leaning on Christ as the 
One supremely loved ? Do I realize that there is no 
escape from sin but through him ? Do I lean on him 
by faith and in love ; not trusting to my own right- 
eousness ; not leaning to my own understanding ; not 
relying on my own strength ; not following my own 
guidance ; but in, and for all that I need, looking only 
to him ? 

Lean upon Jesus for strength. He can increase 
your faith, and hope, and love, and strengthen your 
heart for every burden, and trial, and temptation. 
Lean on him ; for he loves you to link your feebleness 
to his almightiness, and to have you avail yourself of 
his grace. 

Remember, you are not a tree, that can live or stand 
alone. You are only a branch. And it is only while 
you abide in Christ, as the branch in the vine, that you 
will flourish, or even live. — McCheyne. 



True wisdom is in leaning 
On Jesus Christ, our Lord ; 

True wisdom is in trusting 
His own life-giving word. 

True wisdom is in living- 
Near Jesus every day ; 

True wisdom is in walking, 
Where he shall lead the way. 




NOVEMBER 17. 



329 



Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth 
eternity, whose name is holy, . . . I dwell with him 
that is of a contrite and humble spirit. — Isa. lvii. 15. 

DOES the sense of my sinfulness and weakness, 
keep me, at all times, humble before God ? Do 
I feel my insufficiency and unworthiness ; and that 
but for restraining grace, I should be constantly sin- 
ning, as but for pardoning grace, I should be con- 
demned for ever ? Do I pray for light and wisdom 
from on high, that I may fully know myself, and that 
at the same time I may know the richness of the 
grace that is in Christ Jesus ? Do all my hopes rest 
on him ? 

It is the peculiar province and glory of gospel grace 
to humble every believer in the dust, and from grati- 
tude and love to produce the best obedience. — Venn. 

Not all the devils in hell, nor all the temptations of 
the world, can hurt that man who keeps himself 
humble and depending on Christ. As Christ humbled 
himself to honor our nature, Ave should humble our- 
selves to honor his name. — J. Mason. 



The lowly spirit God hath consecrated, 

As his abiding rest ; 
And angels by the patriarch's tent have waited, 

When kings had no such guest. 
The dew that never wets the lofty mountain, 

Falls in the valley free ; 
Bright verdure fringes the small desert fountain, 

But barren sand the sea. 



330 



NOVEMBER 18. 



If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature ; old 
things are passed aviay ; behold, all things are be- 
come new. — 2 Cor. v. 17. 

HAVE I, in penitence for sin and faith in the 
only Redeemer, become a new creature in 
Christ Jesus ? Have I not only a new name, but a 
new heart, and anew nature? Have old thoughts, 
old principles, old aims, old desires, old practices, old 
habits passed away ? By divine grace have I so been 
regenerated, that the controlling love of sin has been 
taken away, and that now it is my chief and earnest 
desire to know and do the will of God ? 



There are three things which the true Christian de- 
sires with respect to sin : justification, that it may not 
condemn ; sanctification, that it may not reign ; and 
glorification, that it may not be. — Cecil. 

The mere outward reformation of morality, differs 
as much from regeneration by the Holy Spirit, as 
whitewashing an old rotten house differs from taking 
it down, and building a new one in its room. — 

TOPLADY. 



Finish, Lord, thy new creation, 

Pardoned, holy, may we be ; 
Let us know thy full salvation ; 

Find our highest joys in thee. 
Take away our love of sinning ; 

Fill us with a Saviour's love ; 
Let us serve thee without ceasing, 

Till we reach our rest above ! 



NOVEMBER 19. 



331 



Praise him according to his excellent greatness. — 



0 I endeavor to see God, as the Psalmist did, in 



1 J all his works and ways : in his own character, 
in the sanctuary, and in all his works both of provi- 
dence and grace? Do I acknowledge, and honor, and 
praise him in all that he is and does ? Do I habit- 
ually feel my dependence on him for all that I have 
and am ? With devout thankfulness do I trace all my 
mercies to him ? In humble gratitude do I devote my 
life to his service ? 



God has given us four books : the book of Grace, 
the book of Nature, the book of the World, and the 
book of Providence. Every occurrence is a leaf in 
one of these books. It does not become us to be 
negligent in the use of any of them. — Cecil. 

The presence of God's glory is in heaven ; of his 
power, on earth; of his justice, in hell; of his grace, 
with his people. If he deny us his powerful presence, 
we fall into nothing ; if he deny us his gracious pres- 
ence, we fall into sin ; if he deny us his merciful pres- 
ence, we fall into hell ; if we are faithful in doing his 
will, we shall for ever enjoy his glorious presence in 
heaven. — J. Mason. 



I'll praise him while he lends me breath, 
And when my voice is lost in death, 

Praise shall employ my nobler powers ; 
My days of praise shall ne'er be past, 
While life, and thought, and being last, 

Or immortality endures ! — Watts. 



Ps. cl. 2. 




332 



NOVEMBER 20. 



None of us liveth to himself. — Rom. xiv. 7. 
T~HAT is the end and aim of my life ? Is it self 



V V or God ? Have I learned to deny myself, and 
to live for the happiness and welfare of others ? Do I 
remember that my influence for good or evil, will be 
felt more or less by those about me, and by others, 
perhaps, long after I have gone to the unseen world ? 
Do I always bear in mind that the great business of 
the Christian's life is not to seek to please himself, but 
to please God ? 



The testimony of a holy life is a still more veritable 
and impressive one, than even that of a happy death. 
— J. A. James. 

A holy life has a voice. It speaks when the tongue 
is silent, and is either a constant attraction, or a con- 
tinual reproof. — Hinton. 

If you do not recognize the claims of God to your 
body, soul, spirit, time, talents, influence, wealth, to all 
that you have and are, you cannot be his disciple. — 
Adam. 

One of the purest and most refined pleasures in fchia 
world, is that of doing good to others. — M. Henry. 



Largely thou givest, gracious Lord ; 
Largely thy gifts should be restored. 
Freely thou givest ; and thy word 

Is " Freely give :" 
He only who forgets to hoard, 

Has learned to live. — Keble. 




NOVEMBER 21. 



333 



His grace, which was bestowed upon me, was not in 
vain. — 1 Cor. xv. 10. 

DO I feel that in myself by nature I have no merit 
or worthiness before God ? And if there be any 
good in me, do I ascribe it entirely to divine grace, 
acknowledging that it comes only from God ? Does 
this conviction make and keep me humble? Do I 
prayerfully seek, and endeavor to improve in the grace 
thus bestowed upon me, that it may not be in vain, 
either to myself or others ? 



As John Newton, in his old age, read the expression, 
" By the grace of God, I am what I am," he paused a 
moment, and then uttered this affecting soliloquy: "I 
am not what I ought to be : ah ! how imperfect and 
deficient : not what I wish to be ; I abhor that which 
is evil, and would cleave to that which is good : not 
what I hope to be ; soon I shall put off mortality, and 
with it all sin and imperfection ! But though I am 
not what I ought to be, or what I wish to be, or what 
I hope to be, yet I can truly say I am not what I once 
was, the slave of sin and Satan ; and with the apostle 
I can thankfully say, ' By the grace of God, I am what 
I am F " 



All that I was, my sin, my guilt, 

My death, was all my own : 

All that I am I owe to thee, 

My gracious God alone. 

My faith, my hopes, my joys depend 

On Christ alone, the sinner's Friend ! 



334 



NOVEMBER 22. 



Fight the good fight of faith ; lay hold on eternal 
life.— I Tim. vi. 12. 
I \0 I realize that the Christian life is indeed a 



. I J warfare, and that there is no cessation from the 
conflict here on earth ? Am I watchful against self, 
and sin, and the world, and the great adversary of 
souls ? Do I endeavor not only to hold back the pow- 
ers of evil, but to extend the victories of truth and 
holiness ? Knowing how weak I am of myself, do I put 
on the whole armor of God, and keep near the great 
Captain of salvation, and in his strength strive to be 
faithful unto death ? 



What Dr. Arnold said about the class of young men 
who professed their sentimental admiration of virtue, 
applies well to older persons : " Commend me to those 
that not only love God, but who also hate the devil." 

There is no fighting on a quagmire. Faith furnishes 
the only solid and safe ground on which we can con- 
tend. Faith clothes us with the Avhole armor of God, 
and connects us with the Captain of our salvation, 
without whom we can do nothing, but through whose 
strength we can do all things. — W. Jay. 



Soldier of Christ ! arise ! 

And put your armor on ; 
Strong in the strength which God supplies 

Through his eternal Son. 
Strong is the Lord of hosts, 

And in his mighty power, 
Who in the strength of Jesus trusts, 

Is more than conqueror ! 




NOVEMBER 23. 



335 



Commit thy way unto the Lord ; trust also in him, 
and he shall bring it to pass. — Ps. xxxvii. 5. 

HEN providences seem dark, and the prospects 
of the future clouded, then, in patient and 
submissive failh, do I commit my ways to the Lord, 
and quietly wait for light from on high ? Do I bear 
in mind the blessed assurance of the Saviour, that 
what we know not now, we shall know hereafter? 
Though clouds and darkness may be about me, do I 
endeavor to look beyond them to the Sun of right- 
eousness, knowing that in due time its beams will 
shine forth, and every way be made plain ? 

In all circumstances let faith and patience have 
their perfect work, and they will bring forth celestial 
fruits. — G. Macdonald. 

We all meet with thorns and briars in the pathway 
of life. We are liable to be disappointed, fretted, or 
saddened, and to see more or less of strange things 
and trying occurrences, and providences that sorely 
task our faith and trust, as Ave journey onward. To 
keep right with ourselves and with God in them all, 
we need a full supply of the rare virtue that can 
always both say and feel, " God is wiser than II" 

God's ways seem dark ; but, soon or late 

They touch the shining hills of day ; 

The evil cannot brook delay ; 
The good can well afford to wait. 
Look forward, then, with faith sublime ; 

God's future is both grand and great ; 
The safe appeal of truth to time 

Is answered in the heavenly state ! 




336 



NOVEMBER 24. 



Holding faith, and a good conscience. — 1 Tim. i. 19. 
T~~\ 0 I realize that an intelligent faith is the only 



I J sure foundation of a good conscience ; and that 
conscience, when enlightened and faithful, is as the 
voice of God himself ; and that obedience to its dic- 
tates, is the way of duty, and safety, and happiness? 
By always harkening to its voice, do I encourage it to 
be prompt and faithful in speaking ? By the prayer- 
ful study of God ; s word do I seek to have my con- 
science divinely enlightened, so that I may always 
safely obey its voice ? 



As the sun-dial cannot make known the hour when 
the sun does not shine upon it, so conscience is not a 
safe guide to duty unless enlightened by God's word. 

Conscience is the true vicar of Christ in the soul ; a 
prophet in its information; a monarch in its pe- 
remptoriness ; a priest in its blessings or anathemas, 
according as we obey or disobey it. — J. Newman. 

Keep your conscience tender — tender as the eye 
that closes its lid against an atom of dust, or as the 
sensitive plant which shrinks and shuts its leaves not 
merely at the rude touch of a finger, but at the breath 
of a moth. 



0 conscience ! conscience ! man's most faithful friend, 
Him thou canst comfort, cheer, relieve, defend : 
But if he will thy friendly checks forego, 
Thy voice is terror — thou his deadliest foe ! — Crabbe. 




NOVEMBER 25. 



337 



Be content with such things as ye have; for he 
hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. — 
Heb. xiii. 5. 

I \0 I endeavor to cherish, habitually, a cheerful 



I J and contented spirit ; and does my contentment 
spring from a childlike trust in God's providence, and 
the assurance that all its allotments are ordered in 
wisdom and goodness? Do I dwell more on the 
blessings I possess, than on those I have not ? Am I 
rather thankful for what I have, than dissatisfied that 
I have no more? Is my constant reliance on the 
promise, " I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee " ? 



In whatsoever state I am, I first look up to heaven, 
and remember that my chief business here is to get 
there. Then I look abroad on the world, and see how 
many there are more unhappy than myself. Thus I 
learn where true happiness is placed, and where all 
my cares must end, and that I have no cause to re- 
pine. 

Happiness consists not in possessing much, but in 
being content with what we possess. He who wants 
little has always enough. — Zimmeeman. 



It is the mind that maketh good or ill, 

That maketh wretch or happy, rich or poor ; 

For some that have abundance at their will, 
Have not enough, but want in greatest store ; 

While other that hath little, asks no more, 

But in that little is both rich and wise ; 

For wisdom is most riches ! — Spencek. 
22 




338 



NOVEMBER 26. 



Give us day by day our daily bread. — Ltjke xi. 3. 
P\0 I realize, habitually, that I am dependent on 



. I J God for everything, not only for the knowledge 
of truth, and the offer of salvation, but for every 
breath I draw, and for the raiment that clothes, and 
the food that sustains and nourishes me? Do I bear 
in mind that this dependence is constant, extending to 
every moment of my being? Do I daily seek for 
daily blessings ? Every day am I thankful for them ? 
Do I see the hand of my heavenly Father in them all, 
and endeavor to improve them all to his glory ? 



It is a blessed and most comforting promise which 
Christ has given, that if we " seek first the kingdom 
of God and his righteousness, all these things shall be 
added thereto." As day by day he fed his people in 
the wilderness with manna from heaven, so day by 
day he will surely give us our daily bread, if we do 
but serve him. As a sure ground of dependence, I 
would rather have God's providence for my inherit- 
ance, than all the riches the world could give. * 



" Day by day, 5 ' the manna fell ; 

Oh, to learn the lesson well ! 

Still by constant mercy fed, 

Give us, Lord, our daily bread. 
" Day by day/' the promise reads ; 

Daily strength for daily needs ; 

Daily thou our task dost give ; 

Day by day to thee we live ! — J. Conder. 




NOVEMBER 27. 



339 



I die daily. — 1 Cob. xv. 31. 

IS my warfare against sin a daily and hourly war- 
fare, carried on in humble dependence on God, 
through the offered aids of the Holy Spirit? Do I 
take to myself, for the conflict, the whole armor of 
God; the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteous- 
ness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and 
the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God? 
Do I carry on the contest with earnest prayer and 
constant watchfulness? Do I seek to be not only 
dead to sin, but alive to God and his service ? 



Daily remembrance of God is the source of daily 
obedience to Gocl. — J. Mason. 

To the Christian the little events of daily life tend 
wonderfully to his sanctification, though he may not 
know it at the time. This discharge of duty, this trial 
of patience, this denial of self, this loss, or suffering, or 
affliction, each, like the finishing strokes of the sculp- 
tor, here strikes off an excrescence, and there brings 
out a beauty of form or feature, till at last the work 
is completed, and the finished image is prepared for the 
upper temple. * 

Father, help me every hour, 

Faithfully to walk with thee ; 
Mine the life, through thine the power, 

Working grace divine in me. 
Let thy strength in me appear ; 

Heaven's own light upon me shine ; 
All around me feel thee near ; 

And the glory, Lord, be thine I 



340 



NOVEMBER %8. 



We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things 
which ice have heard, lest at any time ive should let 
them slip. — Heb. ii. 1. 



O I feel that conversion is but the first step in 



JL_y the divine life, and that the only way of duty 
or safety, is, to press on in the knowledge of truth, 
and in the way of obedience? Do I endeavor not 
merely to hold fast the profession of my faith without 
wavering, but to grow in activity, and hope, and holi- 
ness, and comfort ? Do I seek to keep divine truth, 
continually before me, and by it to regulate all my 
thoughts, and words, and actions ? 



What evidence have I that I love the truth, if I do 
not keep it continually in my thoughts ? What proof 
that I have an obedient spirit, if I am not living an 
obedient life? What assurance that Christ died for 
me, if I am not living for him ? * 

There is nothing so effectual to obtain grace, to re- 
tain grace, and to increase grace, as always to be found 
before God, earnest and watchful in the divine life. 
Happy are we if our hearts are replenished with three 
fears : a fear lest grace received should not be real ; a 
greater fear lest grace should be lost ; and the greatest 
fear of all lest grace should not steadily grow and in- 
crease. 

Whate'er pursuits my time employ, 
One thought shall fill my soul with joy ; 
That silent, constant thought shall be 
That all my hopes are fixed on thee, 
On thee, my God, on thee ! 




NOVEMBER 29. 



341 



To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, 
to him it is sin. — James iv. 17. 

I \0 I realize that omissions may as truly be 



1 J sins, as commissions ; and that for both we are 
to give account at the judgment ? Do I bear in mind 
that those who clo not the good they know they ought 
to do, and those who do the evil they ought not to do, 
are alike guilty,. and will alike be condemned? Do I 
seek to have my conscience rightly informed and 
taught by the word of God, and then to follow its 
dictates ? Do I always seek to know and do what is 
right? 

Sins of commission are the usual punishment for 
sins of omission. He that leaves a duty, may well 
fear that he will be left to commit a crime. — Gtjb- 
nall. 

We may lose heaven by neutrality, as Avell as by 
hostility ; — by wanting oil to our lamps, as well as by 
taking poison. The unprofitable servant will as 
surely be punished as the disobedient and rebellious 
servant. Undone duty will undo the soul. — Bowes. 

The last words of the excellent and industrious 
archbishop Usher were, " Lord, in special forgive me 
my sins of omission.'' 



Omit no duty ; ever pray and work ; 

Say from the heart thy will be done, and then 

Go forth and do it. Life, if rightly lived, 

Is one long orison. All faculties, 

Employed as God would have them, are but steps 

Upon the stairs by which we climb to heaven ! 




342 



NOVEMBER 30. 



If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 
— John vii. 37. 

HAVE I accepted this gracious and unreserved 
invitation ? When the pardon is so full and 
free, and the salvation so great, why should any one 
refuse or delay to accept it ? — Am I willing and now 
ready to be saved in Christ's own way, through his 
atoning death, putting away sin by repentance, rely- 
ing on him by faith, consecrating myself for time and 
eternity to him? As all things on God's part are 
ready, am I ready to accept them ? 



The Father is ready to accept us ; the Son to inter- 
cede for us ; the Spirit to sanctify us ; the promises 
are ready as wells of water for supply. Is all this 
ready, and shall we be unready ? Is all this prepara- 
tion made for us, and shall we be unthankful? — Mat- 
thew Henry. 

If we put off repentance another day, we have an- 
other day more to repent of, and a day less to repent 
in. God has promised pardon on our repentance, but 
he has not promised life till we repent. — T. Scott. 



Wondrous love that brought salvation ! 

Wondrous grace to sinners shown ! 
Heaven is wrapt in contemplation 

Of his love, whom men disown ! 
Oh ! my soul ! wilt thou disown him ? 
Wilt thou not, my heart, enthrone him ? 

— Russell. 



DECEMBER 1. 



343 



I will meditate in thy precepts. — Ps. cxix. 15. 

DO I not merely read, but carefully and prayer- 
fully study the word of God, comparing text 
with text, that I may know clearly the divine cha- 
racter and will, and the way of duty and salvation ? 
Do I endeavor to make all its teachings practical, 
bringing them home to my own case, striving, every 
day, to become wiser and better through the divine 
instructions ? Do I bring everything to the test of 
God's word, believing whatever it teaches, and doing 
whatever it commands? 



The most learned, acute, and diligent student, can- 
not, in the longest life, obtain an entire knowledge of 
this one volume. The more deeply he works the mine, 
the richer and more abundant he finds the ore. New 
light continually beams from this source of heavenly 
knowledge, to direct the conduct, and illustrate the 
work of God, and the ways of men. And he will, at 
last, leave the world, confessing, that the more he 
studied the Scriptures, the more he saw his own igno- 
rance, and their inestimable value. — Walter Scott. 



Oh ! that thy statutes, every hour, 

Might dwell upon my mind ; 
Thence I derive a quickening power, 

And daily peace I find. 
To meditate thy precepts, Lord, 

Shall be my sweet employ ; 
My soul shall ne'er forget thy word ; 

Thy word is all my joy.— Watts. 



314 



DECEMBER 2. 



Love not the world. — 1 John ii. 15. 

HAVE I that new heart, and that new spirit, 
which lead me to find my highest enjoyment 
in God ? Is my understanding enlightened, my con- 
science quickened, my affections purified and sancti- 
fied, my will in all things subordinate to the will of 
God? Has a higher love expelled the love of the 
world from my soul, or so broken its power that it is 
ever kept in its right place ? Do I use the world as 
not abusing it, remembering how soon it will pass 
away? 



To have a portion in the world, is a mercy ; to have 
it for onr portion would be ruin. The great use of 
this world is to make sure of the next. — J. Mason. 

This world is but a school and training place for 
eternity. I will use it only as the pilgrim doth the 
hostelries and conveniences of the way, to speed me 
on my journey, and give the refreshment and strength 
I need for my pilgrimage. I will make the world but 
a stepping stone to heaven ; not a millstone about my 
neck, to sink me down to hell. * 



The world is beauteous, like the rainbow bright, 
And if, like that, it point our eyes to heaven, 
And whisper of the promise, it is well. 
But if deluded, like the silly child, 
We seek to grasp, and feed ourselves upon it, 
It will but mock our hope, and lure us far 
From truth and duty, joy and lasting peace, 
And so from heaven ! 



DECEMBER 3. 



345 



Ye shall be sorrowful, but yo.ur sorrow shall be 
turned into joy. — John xvi. 20. 

AMID the many sorrows and trials and anxieties 
of life, do I bear in mind this precious assur- 
ance and promise of the blessed Saviour ? Do I en- 
deavor so to improve by all the dispensations of his 
providence, as more and more to cherish that spirit 
and temper of heart with which Christ delights to 
dwell ? Does sorrow lead me nearer to the Saviour ? 
Do I acknowledge his hand and his love in it? Is 
every sorrow training me to a higher spirituality, and 
for eternal joy? 



Trials and sorrows make us feel our dependence, and 
work in us tenderness of spirit and humble submission 
to the will of God. They are the medicine that God 
sees we need, and that with his own hand he weighs 
out to us ; and they are for the healing of the soul. 

" All sorrow ought to be home-sickness," says a Ger- 
man poet. It ought to fill Christ's pilgrim-band with 
longings after rest in his likeness and bosom. All 
the trials and troubles of this life are but the active 
ministers of God, ordained and employed by him to 
discipline his people into independence of this world, 
and into a ripeness for immortality — H. Dakling. 



The soul's dark cottage, battered and decayed, 
Lets in new light through chinks by sorrow made ; 
Stronger by trial, wiser, men become, 
As they draw nearer their eternal home. 
Weaned from this world, a brighter they descry, 
And press with firmer step to joys on high ! 



346 



DECEMBER 4. 



I will even make a way in the wilderness, and 
rivers in the desert. — Isa. xliii. 19. 

IF God, in his providence, leads me into the wil- 
derness of trial, am I content to follow his guid- 
ance, knowing that he is with me, and will make 
plain the way to the rest beyond ? Do I feel that I 
shall wander if I do not look to him for direction ; 
that I shall perish with hunger if I am not fed from 
on high ; that my thirst can never be quenched but 
from the living waters that he causes to flow ? Are 
all my steps guided by him ? 



No temporal blessing is too great to expect from a 
God whose love was so infinite as to give his own Son 
for the salvation of mankind. — Satjein. 

Every event of life has meaning to those, who, in 
the simple trust of a childlike faith, give themselves 
up to the leadings and guidance of God's provi- 
dence. No wind can blow wrong ; no event be mis- 
timed ; no result be disastrous. If in all things God 
is caring for our inward and eternal life, nothing can 
occur which is not for our good. 



God doth not leave his own ; 
The night of weeping for a time may last, 
Then, when all tears are past, 
His going forth shall as the morning shine, 
The sunrise of his favor shall be thine ; 

He will not leave his own. 



DECEMBER 5. 



347 



Be not high-minded, but fear. — Rom. xi. 20. 
\0 1 prayerfully watch against trusting too much 



I J to my own strength or good purposes ? Do I 
realize that a holy fear is the best safeguard against 
self-confidence and high-mindedness, and that he who 
so fears, is most sure to stand fast in the divine 
strength? Do I bear in mind that God will ever 
keep in safety those who live near to him, and will 
never fail those who put their trust in him ? Is my 
great fear that I may be negligent, and false to my 
duty and to him ? 



All God's children have received God's Spirit, 
whereby they are made humble, believing, holy, 
and watchful : humble, as regards their sins ; believ- 
ing in regard to Christ; holy in regard of their con- 
science, and watchful in their effort to keep all God's 
commandments. — Payson 

I charge you, be clothed with humility. Let Christ 
increase, but man decrease. Oh ! for such close com- 
munion with God, that soul, body, head and heart 
may all shine with divine brilliancy ! But oh for a 
holy ignorance of their shining ! — McCheyne. 



Oh, for a lowly, contrite heart, 

Believing true and clean ! " 
Which neither life nor death can part, 

From Him that dwells within. 
A heart in every thought renewed, 

And full of love divine ; 
Perfect and right and pure and good, 

A copy, Lord, of thine. — C. Wesley. 




345 



DECEMBER 6. 



No chastening for the pr 
but grievous; nevertheless, 
peaceable fruits of righteo\ 



'esent seemeth to be joyous, 
afterward it yieldeth the 



.— Heb. xii. 11. 



0 I realize that all the afflictions and trials of 



1 J life are sent by God. and that each has its def- 
inite errand and object, and is directed by him where 
to go, whom to touch, what to do, and what end to 
accomplish ? Do I receive the divine chastisements 
as coming from the heavenly Father 0 Do they draw 
me nearer to him ? Do I find that they work in me 
submission, and patience, and experience, and hope, 
and trust, and so yield to me the peaceable fruits of 
righteousness ? 

The soul that is destined to have no other support- 
but God himself, must pass through the strongest 
trials. 

One great purpose of all affliction is to bring us to 
the everlasting arms, that we may know the strength 
and peace of finding them underneath us, and be held 
up, and lifted, and earned along by them. AVhen we 
are weak in ourselves, then we are strong in God. — 
Patsox. 



God sends earth's bitter, that heaven's sweet, 

Earth's bitter o'er, may sweeter taste, 
As Canaan did to Israel's feet, 

After the desert waste. 
Like them, before us, in our ways, 

We view the fountains and the palms, 
And drink, and raise our voice in praise, 

Singing our thankful psalms. — Ford. 




DECEMBER 7. 



349 



Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest. — Heb. 



0 I so find my rest in Christ on earth, as to be 



I J every day preparing for rest with him in heaven ? 
Do I bear in mind that labor, diligent and faithful labor, 
in the field of my own heart, and in the field of the 
world, is the only way to that rest ; and that they who 
labor not now for Christ, shall not rest with him here- 
after ? Does the prospect of that rest, blessed, satisfy- 
ing and never-ending, as it will be, cheer and encour- 
age me to be faithful to the end ? 



Oh ! how many precious moments are wasted in 
softness and self-indulgence, in frivolous pursuits, in 
idle conversation, and in vague and useless reverie, 
which, if rightly improved, might tell upon the world's 
destiny and the Redeemer's glory ! — Clarke. 

Be not weary in doing what God bids, or in waiting 
for what God has promised. Your work may be diffi- 
cult, but persevere in it. The delay may seem long, 
but it will come to an end. Look to the Saviour; rest 
on the promise; keep on with the work, and in due 
season you will go to your rest, if you faint not. * 



The end shall crown the work. 

Work on. then, to the end. 
Though oft the way is dark, 

And clouds portend, 
The work is ours to do ; 

Enough for our faint sight. 
The end God knows. Press on ! 

The crown — is light ! — Bowker. 



iv. 11. 




350 



DECEMBER 8. 



Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the 
morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. — 
Matt. vi. 34. 

I \0 I feel that the same kind Providence which 



1 J clothes the lilies with beauty, and feeds the 
ravens when they cry. knows and cares for my most 
trivial wants, and will surely provide for all that I 
need? Trusting in this Providence, and in the divine 
promises, do I put away all anxiety for the future, 
casting all my care on him who careth for me ? Is it 
my chief anxiety that I may do faithfully the duty of 
to-day, and that trusting in God, I may be ready for 
whatever to-morrow may bring ? 



One of the most useless of all things, is to take a 
deal of trouble in providing against dangers that 
never come. How many toil to lay up riches which 
they never enjoy ; to provide for exigences that never 
happen ; to prevent troubles that never come : sacri- 
ficing present comfort and enjoyment in guarding 
against the wants of a period they may never live to 
see. — W. Jay. 



Make a firm -built fence of trust, 

All around to-day ; 
Fill the space with loving work, 

And within it stay. 
Look not through the sheltering bars, 

Anxious for the morrow ; 
God will help in all that comes, 

Be it joy or sorrow. 




DECEMBER 9. 



351 



Whoever shall do the will of God, the same is my 
brother and sister and mother. — Make iii. 35. 

IS it not a blessed thought that the faith of the be- 
liever rests not merely on a truth, but on a person ; 
and that the nearest and dearest of earthly relation- 
ships are less near and dear than those that bind the 
Christian to a personal Saviour, who has borne our 
nature, and knows our weakness, and can sympathize 
with, as well as aid us, in all circumstances of life ? 
Am I one with this Saviour by a living faith ? For 
time and eternity do I lean on him as a Friend, as well 
as trust him as a Kedeemer ? 

The history of all God's dealings with man is the 
record of an approach nearer and nearer still, until in 
the incarnate Son he shares our sorrows and carries 
our sins, and faith puts its finger into the print of the 
nails, and its hand into the wounded side, and cries 
out " My Lord, and my God !" We need this. We 
can believe a truth, but can trust only a person ; can 
admire a truth, but can love only a person ; can medi- 
tate on a truth, but can commune only with a person ; 
and faith, stretching out a wistful hand to touch his 
garment, comes at last to embrace himself. — J. Kee. 

Saviour, Teacher, Guardian, Friend, 

Every step I walk with thee ; 
Through the toils of earthly strife, 

To an endless victory ! 
Unto death and over death, 

Not one object of thy care, 
But shall prove thy love on earth ; 

Then, with thee, thy glory share ! 



352 



DECEMBER 10. 



The root of the matter is found in me. — Job xix. 28. 
y^v 0 I bear in mind that the living principle of 



1 J grace in the heart is " the root of the matter " 
in God's sight, and that it is as necessary to the vital- 
ity of our religion as the root of the tree is to its life ? 
Do repentance for sin, faith in Christ, and love to God 
and to his people, all evidenced in my life, show that I 
am, indeed, a child of God ? Do I feel that it is all- 
important that I build on the only true foundation, 
and that real godliness is the one thing needful ? 



Grace is a spring whose waters fail not, though the 
streams of gifts may be dried up. He that did create 
it in us, will conserve it in us. Having begun the 
good work, he will finish it. — Mead. 

A religion which does not suffice to govern and con- 
trol a man, will never suffice to save him. That which 
does not distinguish him from a wicked world, will 
never distinguish him from a perishing world. 

The root of religion is the fear of God ; the rule of 
religion is the law of God ; the motive of religion is 
the love of God ; the end of religion is to glorify God 
and enjoy him for ever. 

Now, 0 my Saviour, gracious God, 
My comfort, portion, rest, 

Thou, none but thou, shall reign within my breast. 
Call me to thee ! call me thyself — oh speak, 
And bid my heart to thee, whom most I seek. 
Let this my joy, my life, my life-work be, 
To die to self, to live, my Lord, to thee ! 




— Teesteegen. 



DECEMBER 11. 



353 



Those that seek me early shall find me. — Prov. 
viii. 17. 

HTAO I feel the importance of early coming to the 



I s Saviour, and at once commencing the Christian 
life ? Do I realize the danger of delay ; that life is un- 
certain ; that temptations increase, and the power of 
sinful habit is strengthened by the postponement of 
God's claims ? Have I thought of the many promises 
and encouragements the Bible holds forth to the 
young, and of the greater safety, happiness, and use- 
fulness of those who early give themselves to Christ ? 
If I have never come to him, will I come now ? 



A person converted in youth is like the sun rising on 
a summer's morning, to shine through the long, bright 
day. But one converted late in life, is but as the 
evening star, not appearing till the day is closing, and 
then but a little while. The most matured, and use- 
ful, and happy Christians are, for the most part, those 
who early come to the Saviour. — J. A. James. 



Come, while the blossoms of thy years are brightest, 
Thou youthful wanderer in life's flowery maze; 

Come while the restless heart is bounding lightest, 
And joy's blest sunbeams tremble in thy ways. 

Come while sweet thoughts, like summer buds un- 
folding, 

Waken rich feelings in the hopeful breast ; 
Come to the cross, where Christ the crown is holding, 
Oh come to him, and find eternal rest. 




— W. G. Clarke. 



23 



354 



DECEMBER 12. 



Give diligence to make your calling and election 
sure. — 2 Pet. i. 10. 

I \ 0 I feel that conversion is but the first step in 



I J the divine life, and that constant earnestness 
and diligence are needful, if I would press on in the 
narrow way? Am I diligent in studying the truth, 
that I may know the will of God ; diligent in doing 
that will so soon as I know it ; diligent in prayer 
for divine light and assistance; diligent in resisting 
temptation, and overcoming the world, and denying 
self, that I may live entirely for God? 



All the employments and avocations of life are in 
tended to be, and if rightly viewed, will be, to us, 
means of grace ; as truly the gate of heaven to the 
soul as the sanctuary itself. If in them we endeavor 
to serve and please God, they will develop our Chris- 
tian graces, and strengthen our Christian character, 
and give us the very discipline and training that as 
good and faithful servants we need, and so prepare us 
for acceptance at the last great day. * 



Firm, faithful, watching unto prayer, 

Our Master's voice we will obey ; 
Toil in the vineyard here, and bear 

The heat and burden of the day. 
Then, Lord, for us a resting-place, 

In heaven, at thy right hand, prepare; 
And till we see thee, face to face, 

Be all our conversation there ! 




— J. Montgomery. 



DECEMBER 13. 



355 



All tilings are naked and opened unto the eyes of 
him. with whom we have to do. — Heb. iv. 13. 
HTA 0 I endeavor to live as becomes one whose secret 



1 J thoughts and most trivial actions are all open 
to the eye of God ? Do I remember that he looks, upon 
the heart ; and is this thought a safeguard and warn- 
ing to me in temptation, and an incentive to right 
motives and holy living? Is God's omniscience a com- 
fort to me in the day of trouble? Does it make me 
careful in self-examination ? Is it my encouragement 
in duty ? 

It was a saying of Mohammed that "where two are 
present, God is the third ; and where there are three, 
God is the fourth." And the celebrated Linnaeus 
placed over the door of his lecture-room, the inscrip- 
tion, " Live without sinning : God sees you." * 

God is present, and sees, and hears, and takes ac- 
count of all the thoughts, words and actions of the 
transgressor. His e} 7 e, like a flame of fire, lights up 
a clear and searching day in his soul, and around his 
steps, and shows in sunbeams the iniquities which he 
devises or perpetrates. — T. D wight. 



Thine all-surrounding sight surveys 

My rising and my rest ; 
My public walks, my private ways, 

The secrets of my breast. 
So let thy grace surround me still, 

And like a bulwark prove, 
To guard my soul from every ill 

Secured by sovereign love. — Watts. 




356 



DECEMBER If. 



Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. — 
Mabk xiv. 38. 

"T^O I feel, constantly, the need of seriousness and 



1 J watchfulness and prayer, as a safeguard against 
temptation, as a means of growth in grace, and in view 
of the uncertainty of the hour when the Son of man 
may come ? Do I feel my dependence, my exposure, 
my need of divine help ; and remembering the many 
promises to prayer, do I come constantly to the throne 
of grace, and there find all that I need ? 



It wants nothing but a believing prayer, to turn the 
promise of God into a performance. — J. Mason. 

None are so likely to maintain watchful guard over 
their hearts and lives, as those who know the comfort 
of living in near and constant communion with God. 
They feel their privilege, and fear lest they may lose 
it. They will dread falling from their high estate, 
and marring their own comforts, by bringing clouds 
between themselves and Christ. — J. C. Byle. 

If you can pray aright you have mastered the great 
secret of a spiritual life. — E. M. Gotjlbtjen. 



They pray the best, who pray and watch ; 

They watch the best, who watch and pray ; 
They hear Christ's fingers on the latch, 

Whether he come by night or day. 
Whether they guard the gates and watch, 

Or, patient, toil for him and wait, 
They hear his fingers on the latch, 

Whether he early comes, or late. 




DECEMBER 15. 



357 



The disciples were called Christians, first, in An- 
tioch — Acts xi. 26. 

IF I bear the name of Christian, do I endeavor to 
walk worthily of the high and holy vocation where- 
with I am called ? As a disciple, do I learn of Christ ? 
As a follower, do I walk in his steps ? As a servant, 
do I obey his commands, and do his will ? As a son 
and heir, do I cherish his Spirit, and imitate his ex- 
ample, and honor his name, and not only expect, but 
endeavor to be prepared for the inheritance he has 
promised? Can I say, " For me to live is Christ" ? 



See that every hour your thoughts, feelings, and 
actions be like those of Christ; then will your life 
be his. 

The Scriptures give several names to Christians, 
expressive of their graces, and character, and expec- 
tations : disciples, for their knowledge ; believers, for 
their faith; servants, for their obedience; brethren, 
for their love ; saints, for their holiness ; and heirs, 
because they are soon to receive the inheritance of 
heaven, which Christ has gone to prepare for them 
above * 



He walks with God in penitence and faith, 

Looking for truth and light to him alone ; 

The cross his only hope, and strength, and stay: 

His thoughts the thoughts of Christ ; his highest aim 

To be like him, and in his Spirit grow ; 

God's word his guide ; his path, from day to day, 

The path of duty, bright, ascending still, 

And soon to end in the full bliss of heaven ! 



358 



DECEMBER 16. 



An inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and 
thatfadeth not away. — 1 Pet. i. 4. 

~T~~\0 I feel that though I am nothing, and have 



JLy nothing of myself, yet in Christ I possess all 
things ; that in him I have everlasting riches, and an 
inheritance that will endure when time shall have 
passed away ? Is it not a blessed source of comfort 
to know, that though on earth we may not have great 
possessions, or may even be in poverty or suffering, 
we may look forward to riches, and crowns, and king- 
doms that shall endure for ever ? 



How blessed are God's people who leave all for him 
who is worth to them, more than all. If poor for this 
world, they are rich in him. If earthly riches are 
theirs, their highest riches are still in God. Their 
bodies are below, but their hearts are above ; their 
lives here, but their conversation, their hopes, their 
treasure in heaven. — J. Mason. 

If the way to heaven be narrow, it is not long ; 
and if the gate be strait, it opens into endless life. — 
Bishop Bevebidge. 



The kingdom that I seek, 

Is thine ; so let the way 
That leads to it be also thine, 

Else I shall surely stray. 
Smooth let it be, or rough, 

It still will be the best ; 
Winding or straight, it matters not ; 

It leads me to thy rest ! 




DECEMBER 17. 



359 



There is none good but one. — Mark x. 18. 

0 I acknowledge, with becoming humility, the sad 



1 J truth, that no one of our race is by nature good 
and holy, and that the blessed Saviour, God manifest 
in the flesh, is the only example of perfect goodness 
the world has ever seen ? Do I look to him alone for 
my righteousness, feeling that I have none of my own, 
asking to be clothed with the ample covering of his 
merit, that I may stand accepted in him ? 



Christ is full and sufficient for all his people. He 
has righteousness enough to cover all their sins ; 
wealth enough to supply all their wants ; grace 
enough to subdue all their lusts ; wisdom and power 
enough to vanquish all their enemies ; virtue enough 
to cure all their diseases ; and fullness enough to save 
them to the uttermost. — Spencer. 

He who boasts of being perfect, is perfect in folly, 
I have been a good deal up and down the world, and 
I never did see either a perfect horse or a perfect 
man, and I never shall until two Sundays come to- 
gether. — Spurgeon. 



0 Jesus, full of pardoning grace, 
More full of grace than I of sin ; 

With humble faith I seek thy face, 
Open thine arms, and take me in. 

Eobed in thy perfect righteousness, 

Thy love for ever will I bless. 

Angels shall hear the songs I raise, 

Prolonged through heaven's eternal days ! 




360 



DECEMBER 18. 



He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened 
not his mouth. — Isa. liii. 7. 



A jury ? Is it not a relief to remember that my 
heavenly Father feels for me, and that my gracious 
Redeemer, under far greater sufferings, opened not 
his mouth ? And under any suffering, no matter 
what its cause or source, do I endeavor to cherish a 
Christian spirit, and to be profited by it ? Am I sub- 
missive and humble under divine chastening, knowing 
it is sent in wisdom and goodness ? 



Patience governs the flesh, strengthens the spirit, 
sweetens the temper, stifles anger, extinguishes envy, 
subdues pride. She teaches humility ; bridles the 
tongue ; restrains the hand ; tramples on temptations ; 
endures persecutions ; consummates martyrdom. She 
comforts the poor ; moderates the rich ; makes us 
humble in prosperity ; cheerful in adversity ; un- 
moved by calumny and reproach. She teaches us to 
forgive those who have injured us, and to be first in 
asking forgiveness of those whom we have injured. 
She delights the faithful ; invites the unbelieving; and 
is beautiful in every sex and age. — Bishop Hoene. 



Think of the gain only ; count not the losses ; 
Think of the crown only : count not the crosses ; 
Think of the angels surrounding the throne ; 
Think of the victory, the song, and the crown; 
Faint not, and murmur not : weary not ever ; 
Soon thou with Christ shall be, reigning for ever! 




suffering, provocation, or in- 



DECEMBER 19. 



361 



But let a man examine himself. — 1 Cor. xi. 28. 

DO I always keep before me the divine standard 
of character and duty, and often compare my- 
self as I am, with what they teach me I ought to be, 
that I may know where I stand in God's sight, and 
what progress I am making in divine things ? Do I 
ask for divine light and assistance in seeking to know 
myself? Am I willing to know the worst, as well as 
the best, concerning myself? Is the great end of all 
my self-searching that I may become wiser and better 
every day ? 



The first step in moral, as well as in mental improve- 
ment, is, to know our deficiencies and errors. He 
that is satisfied with his attainments, will never make 
progress, either in knowledge or grace. We must 
know ourselves, if we would improve ourselves. * 

Turn thine eyes unto thyself, and judge not the 
deeds of other men. In judging others, one labors in 
vain, often errs, and easily sins ; but in judging him- 
self, he always labors fruitfully. — Thomas a Kempis. 



Thrice ask, as fades each sun's last ray, 
What's been my life throughout this day ? 
What have I learned, that's worth the knowing? 
What have I done, that's worth the doing ? 
What have I sought, that I should shun? 
What duties have I left undone ? 
Such self-inquiries are the road, 
That leads to virtue and to God. — Pythagoras. 



DECEMBER 20. 



Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my 
last end be like his. — Num. xxiii. 10. 

DO I realize that if I would make sure of dying 
the death of the righteous, I roust live his life ? 
And is it my great concern, from day to day, to live 
by faith on the Son of God ? Do I feel that every 
day is forming and fixing the character that I must 
wear for ever ; and that as I sow here, so I must reap 
hereafter? Am I diligent to make my calling and 
election sure ; sure to myself, that I may have the 
comfort of assurance ; sure to others, that I may 
influence them for good ? 

I love the quaint saying of a dying man, who ex- 
claimed, " I have no fear of going home. I have sent 
all before. God's finger is on the latch, and I am 
ready for him to enter." And when asked if he had 
no fear of missing the heavenly inheritance. " Nay/" 
said he, " there is one crown in heaven which even 
Gabriel could not wear ; one throne, that even Paul 
could not fill. It was made for me, and I shall have 
it \" Oh, what a joyous thought ! " There remaineth 
a rest !" And if I am a child of God, it is as surely 
mine as if I was there ! — Spubgeoh. 

Eest remaineth ; rest from sin, 
Where no guilt can enter in ; 
Where all warring thought shall cease ; 
Where are purity and peace ; 
Eest from sorrow ; rest from tears ; 
Eest from parting : rest from fears ; 
Where each trembling thought shall be, 
Lost, my Saviour, lost in thee ! 



DECEMBER 21. 



363 



If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that. 
— James iv. 15. 
I \0 I bear in mind that as to all my plans and 



1 J arrangements for the future, God is the su- 
preme and only arbiter; and that results rest only 
with him ? Do I ask his guidance in everything, and 
watch for the indications of his providence, and am 
I sincerely willing to be led by him ? While doing 
all that I can to secure what seem desirable ends, is 
it still in humble submission to the divine will, and 
with the heartfelt conviction and feeling that God 
knows what is right and wise and best? 



Unto them that love and trust God, he causeth all 
things to work for the best. — Coverdale. 

All our plans should be formed in dependence on 
God. In all of them we should remember the un- 
certainty of life, the short-sightedness of our own wis- 
dom, and that God, as a sovereign, presides over all the 
affairs of men. We should ask for his guidance, look 
to his word and providence for direction, and be satis- 
fied with the results which he orders or permits. If 
thus we acknowledge him, he will direct our paths. 



He leadeth me, oh blessed thought; 

Sweet words, with heavenly comfort fraught ; 

Whate'er I do, where'er I be, 

Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me. 

Lord, I would clasp thine hand in mine, 

Nor ever murmur or repine, 

Content, whate'er my lot may be, 

Since 'tis my God that leadeth me. — Gilmore. 




364 



DECEMBER 22. 



Boast not thyself of to-morrow. — Peov. xxvii. 1. 

REALIZING the uncertainty of the future, am I 
earnest and diligent in improving the present ? 
Is it my great aim now to be growing in knowledge 
and grace and usefulness, so that every day shall show 
some advance in the divine life ? Do I realize the value 
of time ? Do I watch for opportunities for doing and 
getting good ? Do I live, habitually, with eternity in 
view, and so as every day to honor God, and be pre- 
paring for the life beyond the grave ? 



Oh ! how many deeds of deathless virtue, and im- 
mortal crime, the world had wanted, had the actor said, 
I will do this to-morrow. — Loed Johx Russell. 

Blessed is the man who at the close of to-day, can 
look upon all his work as done, and anticipate to- 
morrow as bringing only what properly belongs to it. 
All duties, privileges, trials, joys, sorrows, everything 
we have, we have to-day. Yesterday is gone. To- 
morrow, is not. Only to-day is ours ; and only in 
to-day do Ave hold all our possessions. — Bate. 



In human hearts what bolder thoughts can rise, 
Than man's presumption on to-morrow's dawn? 
"Where is to-morrow ? In another world. 
For numbers this is certain. The reverse 
Is sure to none. And yet on this '•'perhaps/' 
This " peradventure," infamous for lies, 
As on a rock of adamant, we build 
Our mountain hopes; spin out eternal schemes, 
And big with life's futurities, expire ! — Young-. 



DECEMBER 28. 



365 



Be ready always to give an answer to every man 
that asketh you reason of the hope that is in you. — 
1 Pet. iii. 15. 

AM I intelligently able, and at all suitable times 
willing, to give a reason for my faith as a Chris- 
tian? Do I watch against that fear of man which 
bringeth a snare ; and feel that if I loved and feared 
God more, I should fear the world less? Knowing 
that my faith and hope as a Christian rest on the surest 
foundation, am I ever ready to defend them against 
either argument, or cavils, or sneers ? Do I glory in 
the cross of Christ ? 



I know men, and I tell you Jesus Christ is not a 
man : he is God. And his divinity once admitted, 
Christianity appears with the precision and clearness 
of algebra: it has the connectedness and unity of a 
science. The gospel is more than a book. It is a 
living thing, active, powerful, overcoming every ob- 
stacle in its way. It possesses a secret virtue of in- 
describable efficacy ; a warmth that impresses the 
understanding, and softens the heart. The soul can 
never go astray with this book for its guide. — Napo- 
leon BoNAPAKTE. 

I'm not ashamed to own my Lord, 

Or to defend his cause ; 
Maintain the honor of his name, 

The glory of his cross. 
Jesus, my God ! I know his name ; 

His name is all my trust ; 
Nor will he put my soul to shame, 

Nor let my hope be lost. — Watts. 



366 



DECEMBER 



He hath done all things well. — Make: vii. 37. 

HAVE I such unfailing trust and confidence in 
the wisdom and goodness of my heavenly- 
Father, that in all circumstances I can and clo feel 
that he doeth all things well? In joy or sorrow, in 
comfort or suffering, in health or sickness, in life or 
death, can I trust him still? And so trusting, can 
I feel that all things are working together for my 
highest good? Do I look habitually to him, and live 
not merely for this, but for the unseen world ? 



Thankfulness in joy, is putting God into our com- 
forts ; and resignation in sorrow, is putting God be- 
tween us and our grief. 

How satisfied do we feel when we have learned to 
see the hand of God in every event of life, and to feel 
that in all he is guided by wisdom and goodness ! He 
who has learned to seek nothing but the will of God, 
shall always find what he seeks. If we stand right 
with heaven, every cross, even, is a blessing, and every 
blessing a pledge and foretaste of future happiness. — 
Hall. 



There are no lives so full of light, 
That every day and hour is bright. 
There are no lives so full of gloom, 
That happiness has there no room. 
The prospered have their hours of care ; 
The sad and sorrowing everywhere, 
A.t times must feel — their only rest — 
" God knoweth best — he knoweth best I" 



DECEMBER 25. 



367 



Wine is a mocker; strong drink is raging: and 
whosoever is deceived thereby, is not wise. — Prov. 



0 I seriously endeavor in all things to aim at 



1 J self-control ; and if need be, self-denial, accord- 
ing to the will of God ? Do I diligently and prayer- 
fully strive to keep in subjection all the bodily appe- 
tites and propensities and passions, that they may not 
have dominion over me ? In eating do I avoid ex- 
cess? And especially as to drinking, do I " touch 
not, taste not, handle not," not only that I may not 
be injured, but that I may set a good example to 
others ? 



Strong drink is not only the devil's way into a 
man, but it is man's way to the devil. — Adam 
Clarke. 

0 thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no 
name to be known by, let us call thee " Devil !" Oh ! 
that men should put an enemy to their mouths to 
steal away their brains, and that we should with joy, 
revel, pleasure, and applause, transform ourselves to 
beasts ! — Shakespeare. 



The death of modesty ; the grave of wealth ; 
Beason's destroyer ; murderer of health ; 
The bane of character ; the beggar's friend ; 
Of crime, the source ; of self-respect, the end ; 
The wife's deep anguish ; children's woe and shame ; 
Degrading men to brutes, in all but name ; 
Spreading on earth such woes as none can tell ; 
The curse of all for life; and then the gate of hell ! 



xx. 1. 




368 



DECEMBER 26. 



In lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better 
than themselves. — Phil. ii. 3, 

1 A 0 I look constantly to the perfect standard of 



1 J character and duty set forth in God's law, and 
so keep low estimates and humble thoughts of self? 
Whatever my attainments in knowledge or grace or 
usefulness, do I still remember my ignorance, and sin- 
fulness, and shortcomings in both aim and duty ? Do 
I look more to my own defects than my excellences ; 
more to the excellences of others than to their de- 
fects ? Do I pray for a truly humble spirit ? 



When we think most for others, God thinks most 
of us. — M. Heney. 

Either we must lay self aside, or God will lay us 
aside. — Gtjen all . 

If men did but know themselves more, they would 
be more humble, more content, more thankful, more 
charitable. As the first step heavenward is humility, 
so the first step hell ward, is pride, the beginning of 
which is folly, and the end shame ; either penitent 
shame, ending in repentance, or penal shame, ending 
in everlasting punishment. — J. Mason. 



Life is a path where we should humbly walk, 

Of self forgetful, seeking others' weal ; 

The hallowed sphere of love to brother man. 

Esteem of others, deeds of kindness shown 

To all about us, these may bless and cheer 

Hearts that are weary, souls that are depressed, 

And gild earth's pathway with the beams of heaven ! 




DECEMBER 27. 



369 



Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. — Ps. lxi. 2. 

IN all circumstances do I feel my weakness and de- 
pendence, and seek for strength and support from 
on high ? By faith do I rest all my hopes of salvation 
on the rock Christ Jesus ? In darkness, or doubt, or 
conflict, or sorrow, do I look to him for light, and 
guidance, and strength and comfort ? In duty, under 
trial, in life or in death, do I look away from self and 
self-dependence, to the sympathy, and power, and 
promise of God, and so find rest and help and peace ? 

The love, the promise, the grace, the power, the in- 
tercession of Christ are for ever the same ; and to them, 
as to a strong tower, we may ever run and be safe. As 
the rock does not shake or change though the storms 
may beat and the waves dash against it, so he is for 
ever the sure trust of all that come to him, * 

If ever thou look for comfort on earth and salva- 
tion in heaven, put thyself fully and always on Christ. 
Look not for any blessing out of him ; and in and by 
and from him, look for all blessing. Find in him thy 
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption ; thy 
riches, strength, and glory. — Rutherford. 



The road that leads from earth to heaven, 

Fast by the cross doth lie ; 
And all our strength its path to tread, 

Is drawn from strength on high. 
How little of that road, my soul, 

How little hast thou gone ! 
Take heart, and let the thought of God 

Allure thee further on ! 

24 



370 



DECEMBER 2R. 



Be ye therefore ready also, for the Son of man 
cometh, at an hour when ye think not — Luke xii. 40. 
I A 0 I realize how near, at farthest., death must be ; 



i J how very near it possibly may be ; how sud- 

denly, at any moment, it may come ? Do I endeavor 
to live in constant readiness for its coming? If I 
would die the death of the righteous, am I daily living 
his life ? By sincere repentance for sin, by faith in 
Christ as the only and all-sufficient Saviour, by a life 
conformed to his will and filled with his Spirit, have I 
the evidence that for me to die shall be gain ? 



An eccentric minister, stepping one day into the 
shop of one of his parishioners, ashed abruptly, with- 
out even waiting for a salutation, "Did you expect 
me?'' "No !" was the reply. "What if I had been 
death?" he asked ; and stepping out, was gone as sud- 
denly as he came in. What a thought for us ! Does 
it not impress the lesson, " Be ye also ready !" * 

Death to the Christian, is the funeral of all his sor- 
rows and evils, and the resurrection of all his joys. — 
J. Mason. 



Oh what is death to him who dies, 

With God's own blessings on his head ? 
A charter, not a sacrifice ; 

A life immortal to the dead. 
And life is only good and great, 

When man devotes himself to be, 
In thought, and aim, and word, and deed, 

A living sacrifice to thee ! 




DECEMBER 29. 



371 



When thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know 
what thy right hand doeth. — Matt. vi. 3. 

DO I always bear in mind that the property I 
hold, is not mine, but God's ; and that I am but 
his steward, and soon to give up my account to him? 
And when I give is it to please him, as well as from a 
feeling of sympathy for others who may be in need? 
Do I watch against selfishness and self-conceit ; against 
ostentation in giving, which is but another form of 
pride ; and against covetousness, which is idolatry ? 
Do I remember that for all I have and do I must 
answer at the judgment ? 



God grant that my bounty may be a clear and 
transparent river, flowing from pure charity, and un- 
contaminated by self-love, ambition, or interest. 
What are the paltry gifts for which others forget 
to thank me, compared with the blessings for which 
I have so often forgotten to thank God ! — Gotthold. 

We might somewhat marvel what the apostle Paul 
should mean, to say that " covetousness is idolatry/' 
if the daily practice of men did not show that, where- 
as nature requireth God to be honored with wealth, 
we honor, for the most part, wealth as God. — Hooker. 



In all thy thriving still misdoubt some evil, 
Lest gaining gain on thee, and make thee dim 

To all things else. Wealth is the conjurer's devil, 
Whom when he thinks he has, the devil hath him. 

Gold thou mayest safely touch ; but if it stick 

Unto thine hands, it woundeth to the quick. 

■ — Herbert. 



372 



DECEMBER 30. 



Trust ye in the Lord for ever ; for in the Lord 
Jehovah is everlasting strength. — -Isa. xxvi. 4. 

IS all my trust for time and eternity quietly reposed 
on God? Do I trust his word to instruct, his prov- 
idence to guide, his Son to redeem, his Spirit to sanctify, 
his grace to save me ? Do I cast my cares on him, and 
rest my hopes on his promises, and leave all my earthly 
interests in his hands, and commit my soul to him, in 
well-doing, as to a faithful Creator and Redeemer ? Do 
I feel that I am for ever safe, trusting my all to him ? 



I was thinking this morning of an expression of 
Rutherford's which I feel is the burden of my song : 
— " I lay my head on the bosom of Omnipotence/' 
While I can keep hold of this, it will be for me a fine 
day, whether it rains, or hails, or shines. — R. Cecil. 

To make our reliance on Providence both pious and 
rational, we should prepare all things with the same 
care and diligence as if there were no such thing as 
Providence to depend upon ; and then we should as 
wholly and humbly rely upon it, as if we had made 
no preparation at all, for if we trust God we may be 
sure of all that Omnipotence can do for us. — South. 



Trust in a prince, his word may fail ; 

In friends, they soon shall die ; 
In health and wealth, the world's regard, 

Alas ! how soon they fly ! 
Trust thine own heart, 'tis faithless all ; 

Thy life, 'tis insecure ; 
But he that trusteth in the Lord, 

For ever shall endure ! 



DECEMBER 31. 



373 



My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle. — Job 
vii. 6. 

DOES this last day of the year impress me with 
the solemn truth that life is fast passing away, 
and that soon I must go to give up my account to 
God? Eealizing the brevity of life, and how fast it 
is flying, and how soon its end will come, am I diligent 
to improve it to the utmost ? Do I feel that the end 
of all things is at hand ? Am I sober, and do I watch 
unto prayer ? When the Master calls will he find me 

ready ? 

There are two words that should take up most of 
our thoughts and cares, viz. : time and eternity : time, 
because it is so fast passing away ; eternity, because 
it will so soon begin ; time, because it will so soon be 
ended ; eternity, because it never will end. * 

Our life hangs, at every moment, by a thread ; but 
that thread is in a Father's hand. — Evans. 

We are kept at uncertainty as to the precise time 
of Christ's coming, that we may be always ready. For 
it is no thanks to a man to be ready for an attack, if 
he knows, beforehand, just the time when it will be 
made. — Matthew Henry. 



Well, if our days must fly, 

We'll keep their end in sight ; 
We'll spend them all in wisdom's way, 

And let them speed their flight. 
They'll waft us sooner o'er 

This life's tempestuous sea ; 
Soon we shall reach the peaceful shore 

Of blest eternity ! — Watts. 



INDEX OF TEXTS. 



GENESIS. page 

32 : 26 289 

EXODUS. 
14 : 15 151 

25 : 22 237 

NUMBERS. 

23 : 10 362 

DEUTERONOMY. 

4 : 9 90 

8 : 2 67 

10 : 12 64 

33 : 25 130 

JOSHUA. 
3 : 4 70 

24 : 15 146 

1 SAMUEL. 

3:9.. 235 

7 : 12 221 

20 : 3 251 

2 KINGS. 

5 : 13 71 

JOB. 

7 : 29 373 

11 : 7 187 

11 : 12 214 

19 : 26 283 

19 : 28 352 

22 : 21 148 

23 : 16 66 

37 : 21 272 



PSALMS. page 

1 : 3 306 

4:4 72 

4 : 6 144 

5 : 3 135 

5 : 8 91 

16 : 3 127 

16 : 11 140 

17 : 5 108 

17 : 15 52 

18 : 28 42 

19 : 7 233 

19 : 14 88 

23 : 1 150 

23 : 4 134 

23 : 6 65 

26:8 28 

27 : 7 302 

30 : 5 315 

31 : 15 171 

32 : 1 320 

32 : 5 256 

36 : 9 254 

37 : 3 228 

37 : 5 335 

39 : 1 263 

40 : 4 53 

40 : 8 106 

41 : 1 132 

42 : 5 200 

48 : 14 57 

50 : 23 92 

51 : 9 139 

51 : 10 19 

51 : 12 61 

51 : 15 63 

51 : 17 219 

55:6 26 

55 : 22 25 

375 



376 



INDEX OF TEXTS. 



56 : 

61 

62 

62 

66 

68 

84 

86 

86 

90 

94 

97 
103 
103 
107 
109 
119 
119 
119 
119 
119 
126 
126 
139 
139 
141 
143 
145 
145 
150 



: 4.. 



67... 
130.. 

3 

16... 



23, 24.. 

3 

10 



PROVERBS. 



120 ! 

369 ! 

138 i 

160 | 

194 I 

180 | 

273 i 
96 | 

137 I 

153 
, 89 

218 ; 

26S ; 

269 I 
, 111 | 
, 163 

343 
, 321 

195 
82 
45 
77 
, 174 

231 
38 

169 
39 

199 

183 

331 



12 
212 



SONG- OF SOLOMON. 



192 

, 32S 



ISAIAH. 



23.. 
17.. 

: 25.. 



. 287 
. 353 
, 54 
, 295 
, 191 
. 73 
117 
, 10 
, 286 
300 
30 
367 
223 
178 
274 
364 
87 



11.. 
15.. 
6... 
: 6... 



JEREMIAH. 



, 36 
35 
107 
158 
372 
55 
211 
SO 
243 
346 
, 246 
175 
360 
239 
329 
110 
282 



29 
93 



LAMENTATIONS. 
3 : 24 141 



HOSEA. 



2 : 14- 



131 



JOEL. 



2 : 13.. 

3 : 16.. 



AMOS. 



6 : 1.. 
4 : 12 



323 
37 



275 
, 103 



MICAH. 



HABAKEXK. 



ECCLESIASTES. 

: 9 162 | 

: 14 303 i 

: 8 116 i 1 : 5.. 



HAGGAI. 



205 



224 



177 



INDEX OF TEXTS. 



377 



ZECHABIAH. page 
4 : 10 165 

8 : 13 276 

9 : 12 104 

14 : 7 136 

MALACHI. 

3 : 6 12 

4 : 2 325 

MATTHEW. 

5 : 9 278 

5 : 13 270 

5 : 16 220 

6 : 3 371 

6:6 155 

6 : 32 49 

6 : 33 197 

6 : 34 350 

7 : 1 102 

7 : 12 59 

7 : 14 188 

8 : 17 226 

8:25 78 

9 : 12 253 

9 : 13 318 

9 : 29 255 

10 : 32 322 

11 : 28 101 

12 : 33 241 

14 : 27 31 

16 : 24 229 

19 : 20 232 

20:22 , 85 

21 : 28 105 

24 : 42 58 

24:44 123 

26:41 41 

28:20 209 

MARK. 

3 : 35 351 

7 : 37 366 

8 : 36 152 

9 : 24.. 324 

10 : 18 359 

13 : 34 114 

14 : 8 113 

14 : 38 356 

LUKE. 

8 : 50 149 

10 : 39 207 

10 : 42 181 

11 : 2 173 



PAGE 

11 : 3 338 

11:9 44 

11 : 13 186 

12 : 32 193 

12 : 40 370 

12 : 48 265 

14 : 17 319 

16 : 10 326 

19 : 10 222 

21 : 19 46 

22 : 19 216 

23 : 42 294 

24 : 29 142 

24 : 32 296 

JOHN. 

5 : 39 9 

6 : 37 260 

7 : 37 342 

8 : 50 293 

12 : 21 252 

12 : 26 179 

13 : 7 290 

13 : 17 305 

14 : 6 204 

14 : 15 161 

14 : 19 213 

14 : 27 277 

16 : 20 345 

17 : 17 312 

17 : 21 190 

20 : 28 32 

21 : 16 18 

21 : 17 125 

21 : 17 34 

ACTS. 

3 : 19 84 

9 : 6 118 

9 : 11 182 

11 : 23 69 

11 : 26 357 

14 : 22 112 

16:31 95 

26 : 20. 154 

ROMANS. 

5 : 5 164 

5 : 8 172 

5 : 20 259 

8:1 79 

8 : 9 250 

8:18 94 

8 : 26 249 

8 : 28 217 



378 



INDEX OF TEXTS. 



PAGE 

8 : 31 284 

8 : 37 327 

10 : 10 122 

11 : 20 347 

11 : 33 266 

12 : 2 208 

12 : 3 267 

12 : 9 245 

12 : 10 17 

12: 11 159 

12 : 12 14 

12 : 15 291 

13 : 11 86 

14 : 7 332 

15:3 22 

16 : 20 81 

1 CORINTHIANS. 

3 : 18 257 

7 : 17 308 

7 : 29 7 

7 : 31 133 

9 : 24 244 

10 : 13 301 

11 : 28 361 

13 : 4 281 

13 : 13 99 

15 : 10 333 

15 : 31 339 

2 CORINTHIANS. 

2 : 11 168 

3 : 5 299 

4 : 13 24 

4 : 17 74 

5 : 7 33 

5 : 10 258 

5 : 14 307 

5 : 17 330 

5 : 18 201 

6 : 1 316 

6 : 2 119 

7:6 97 

7 : 10 51 

10:5 48 

12:7 43 

12 : 9 109 

13:5 13 

GALATIANS. 

2 : 20 215 

4 : 18 264 

6 : 2 280 



EPHESIANS. page 

2 : 14 317 

2 : 16 297 

4 : 1 100 

4 : 23 129 

4 : 30 311 

4 : 31 230 

5 : 1 98 

5 : 16 247 

6 : 6 56 

6 : 11 15 

PHILIPPIANS. 

1 : 6 248 

2 : 3 368 

2 : 4 271 

2 : 5 121 

3 : 10 20 

4 : 4 313 

4:5 76 

4 : 6 62 

4 : 13 124 

4 : 19 115 

COLOSSIANS. 
2 : 7 262 

2 : 10 203 

3:2 11 

3 : 15 60 

3 : 23 167 

1 THESSALONIANS. 

5 : 17 189 

5 : 22 242 

2 THESSALONIANS. 

3 : 13 238 

1 TIMOTHY. 

1 : 19 ..336 

2:5 47 

4 : 7 304 

4:15 23 

4 : 16 185 

6 : 12 334 

2 TIMOTHY. 

1 : 12 285 

2 : 13 279 

4 : 5 196 

TITUS. 

2 : 10 170 



INDEX OF TEXTS. 



379 



HEBREWS. page 

2 : 1 340 

3 : 6 83 

4 : 11 349 

4 : 13 355 

6 : 10 292 

10 : 22 157 

10 : 37 68 

10 : 38 309 

11 : 16 184 

12:1 75 

12 : 2 198 

]2 : 11 348 

12 : 14 310 

13:5 : 143 

13 : 5 337 

13:8 50 

JAMES. 
1 : 12 145 

1 : 21 234 

2 : 26 288 

4 : 15 363 

4 : 17 341 

1 PETER. 

1 : 4 358 

2 : 7 202 



PAGE 

3 : 15 365 

3 : 16 16 

4 : 7 176 

4 : 16 126 

5:5 40 

5 : 5 128 

5 : 7 147 

2 PETER. 

1 : 10 354 

2 : 6 225 

3 : 18. 236 

1 JOHN. 

1 : 7 156 

2 : 6 298 

2 : 15 344 

2 : 28 227 

3 : 2 261 

3 : 3 240 

4 : 18 314 

5 : 14 210 

REVELATION. 

3 : 8 166 

14 : 5 206 



